| Amelia | Emma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Industrious, striving | Whole, universal |
| Origin | Germanic | Germanic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | uh-MEEL-yuh | EM-uh |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2021 (13,041) | 2003 (22,719) |
| In 2025 | 12,699 | 12,754 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Amelia | Emma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 76,108 | 85,652 |
| 2010s | 93,850 | 195,070 |
| 2000s | 33,292 | 181,414 |
| 1990s | 13,559 | 58,252 |
| 1980s | 9,740 | 10,381 |
| 1970s | 5,321 | 4,665 |
| 1960s | 4,824 | 6,993 |
| 1950s | 5,189 | 14,613 |
| 1940s | 5,324 | 22,788 |
| 1930s | 5,958 | 30,022 |
| 1920s | 8,787 | 46,538 |
| 1910s | 8,832 | 41,819 |
| 1900s | 3,664 | 24,176 |
| 1890s | 3,725 | 28,652 |
| 1880s | 2,957 | 25,404 |
Amelia comes from the Germanic amal, meaning “work” in the sense of industriousness and striving. It is sometimes blended with the Latin-rooted Emilia.
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 Amelia today: about 12,754 US babies were given the name Emma in 2025, compared with 12,699 named Amelia.
Amelia means Industrious, striving (Germanic origin), while Emma means Whole, universal (Germanic origin).
In US records, Amelia first appears in 1880 and Emma in 1880, so Amelia has the longer recorded history.