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