| Ada | Emma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | First daughter | Whole, universal |
| Origin | igbo | Germanic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AH-dah | EM-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1918 (1,943) | 2003 (22,719) |
| In 2025 | 1,401 | 12,754 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ada | Emma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 9,495 | 85,652 |
| 2010s | 9,037 | 195,070 |
| 2000s | 3,395 | 181,414 |
| 1990s | 1,600 | 58,252 |
| 1980s | 1,606 | 10,381 |
| 1970s | 1,924 | 4,665 |
| 1960s | 2,874 | 6,993 |
| 1950s | 4,306 | 14,613 |
| 1940s | 5,884 | 22,788 |
| 1930s | 8,492 | 30,022 |
| 1920s | 15,135 | 46,538 |
| 1910s | 15,234 | 41,819 |
| 1900s | 9,121 | 24,176 |
| 1890s | 10,379 | 28,652 |
| 1880s | 8,423 | 25,404 |
Igbo, 'first-born daughter.' Ada is a title-like name marking the eldest daughter and heads many compounds, e.g. Adaeze ('princess, king's daughter') and Adaobi ('daughter of the household').
Emma comes from the Germanic ermen, meaning “whole” or “universal.” It has been used in England since the Norman Conquest.
Emma is more popular than Ada today: about 12,754 US babies were given the name Emma in 2025, compared with 1,401 named Ada.
Ada means First daughter (igbo origin), while Emma means Whole, universal (Germanic origin).
In US records, Ada first appears in 1880 and Emma in 1880, so Ada has the longer recorded history.