| Alice | Emma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Noble | Whole, universal |
| Origin | Germanic | Germanic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AL-iss | EM-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (11,955) | 2003 (22,719) |
| In 2025 | 3,547 | 12,754 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alice | Emma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 20,743 | 85,652 |
| 2010s | 30,636 | 195,070 |
| 2000s | 8,271 | 181,414 |
| 1990s | 6,466 | 58,252 |
| 1980s | 7,330 | 10,381 |
| 1970s | 11,132 | 4,665 |
| 1960s | 26,954 | 6,993 |
| 1950s | 52,074 | 14,613 |
| 1940s | 72,392 | 22,788 |
| 1930s | 78,968 | 30,022 |
| 1920s | 110,526 | 46,538 |
| 1910s | 85,866 | 41,819 |
| 1900s | 35,232 | 24,176 |
| 1890s | 24,415 | 28,652 |
| 1880s | 17,142 | 25,404 |
Alice comes from the Old French Aalis, a short form of Adelais (Adelaide), from Germanic elements meaning “noble.” Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland fixed it in the imagination.
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 Alice today: about 12,754 US babies were given the name Emma in 2025, compared with 3,547 named Alice.
Alice means Noble (Germanic origin), while Emma means Whole, universal (Germanic origin).
In US records, Alice first appears in 1880 and Emma in 1880, so Alice has the longer recorded history.