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