Is this name too common?

2bWednDec · March 2009

Emma is our current top choice. I just saw it's #3 most common name according to social security. Hubby and I don't want to pick an overused overly common name. But hubby and I know a lot of people yet neither of know an Emma (odd?).

Sooo, how many Emma's do you know?

mysticriver · March 2009

I don't know any IRL, and if you don't either, why not use it?

Even if it's a popular name, there is no telling who your child will have as classmates. One example: Ezekiel is not a totally common name (#248 in 2007), yet there were two of them in my son's playgroup.

If you both love it, go for Emma!

LMS05 · March 2009

I know one, but I'm never around children. It is a very popular name and seems to be getting even more popular. Pick a new name if you don't want an overused overly common name. I really like Emma too, but it's my best friends last name and it just seems strange to name my DD Emma.?

New Mrs · March 2009

one and she is an older woman

userdeleted · March 2009

I don't know any Emmas. I have actually heard that the popularity lists don't mean what they used to, because people tend to pick from a wider variety of names. Even the most popular ones are not nearly as common as they would have been in the past.

LMS05 · March 2009

Savannah, Jenna, and Kaylee aren't common and they are really pretty names on your list. I like Hailey too, but that's very common.?

kittytaylor1 · March 2009

I don't know any Emmas... I say if you like it, go with it.

Sxia · March 2009

I know two of them.

KittenGator · March 2009

It is very common for newer babies. Of the 5 babies in my friend circle, there is an Emma.?

little_mrs · March 2009

None now. I knew one in high school but that was 15 years ago.

Rocknmama · March 2009

I know 3, I wouldn't even consider it if it were me.

Love Sugar Sweet Minxy · March 2009

I know 3 but I work with kids. If you don't know any but love the name why not use it?

LVila · March 2009

The little girl I nanny for is the only Emma in her school (I was surprised b/c I thought it was a super popular name). She's in kindergarten. If you love it, use it. I was one of three Lindsay's in my grade of 92 and I turned out normal )

blondie42107 · March 2009

Yeah it's a common name but if you don't know anyone around you with the name then use it.

Melinz · March 2009

I hear people talk about that name a lot and how much they like it, but i have yet to meet anyone named Emma.

I love the name but DH said no =(

dairygirl19 · March 2009

I know 3 Emmas.

A girl I used to nanny for and 2 at the school I work at.

Where I live though it's nowhere near as common as Kaylee/Kaleigh/Caley...etc...there's about 2 in every class.

I think those lists are also pretty regional..so if you don't know anyone with that name....go for it!

lilygirl13 · March 2009

This is my 7th year of teaching, and I've only had 2 Emma's. I think it's a beautiful name. You could always choose something that would lend itself to Emma as a nn...Emmalynn, Emily, etc. Or maybe even Emmie, I haven't heard any with that name yet.

mrsmel · March 2009

a lot. and if it's on ss list, those are real babies, not just popularity as ranked by some baby name sites.

i'm avoiding anything in the top 25.

*Bre* · March 2009

There's an Emma on Degrasssi :P/ I like it, and if you don't know many in your area then I don't see what the problem is. Common names are just as good as uncommon names. They are popular for a reason!

rebus82 · March 2009

My late cousin's name was Emma, she was 10 when she died, so not terribly recent (before Friends made it a huge name). Other than that, no one.?

teacherjess · March 2009

I know no Emmas.

I remember reading once that back in earlier times (80s and earlier, I would think), the top ten names meant that 25% of the babies born in America had one of those names. These days, the top ten names actually mean that around 10% of all babies born in America have one of those names. So you actually are less likely to run into an Emma today than if you named her Jennifer in the 80s, kwim?

I love the name Emma and think it's beautiful. And if you love it, use it! GL on your adoption.

bruin · March 2009

It's really interesting to hear about what these lists "mean". Our province publishes a list every year of all of the baby names for babies born the previous year, and the list gives the number of babies named that...

Emma was #3, with 212 girls named that in 2008...

And because this research is fun, there were?24,526 girls with 6,829 different names.?So simple math makes me believe that about 1 in 4 girls here will have the same name... (though I don't think the math can be applied that simply, so I don't give my 1/4 ratio much weight!)

Maybe your state publishes a similar list so you can see how relatively popular the name is where you are...?

EXL311 · March 2009

My SIL is pregnant an if it's a girl she will be named Emma. Other than that I haven't met any or seen the name in either of my kids' daycare classes.

CubbyMama · March 2009

Well, it takes a while for trendy/popular names to reach schools and such, so people always say "I don't know any ____'s" but if it's the #1 name, I'm sure they will meet up with the trend eventually! Between Emma and Emily both being in the top 3 or 5 names, I think you'll run into a lot of them at preschools, etc.

emilyyvonne01 · March 2009

i know one little Emma, Not sure if youve done this but...If you go to the social security website it will tell you state by state how popular the name is, so it may be popular as an average throught the US if you saw just one list of the most pop. names, but in your individual state it may not be as popular.

GettinNervous · March 2009

I know one, and she's about 13.

goldenprincess · March 2009

I know 3 and all are DS's friends. II think that if you really like a certain name, just go ahead and use it regardless of how over used it is.

wannabmommy · March 2009

3 under the age of 5

newportbride715 · March 2009

Try to check your area. It is common, but in some areas more than others. I think babynamewizard.com has a state by state tool. Pretty name!

MrsTeague · March 2009

IMO, Emma is WAY overdone, and very similar to the most popular girls name, Emily.

still_a_bride · March 2009

I know 1 Emma.

still_a_bride · March 2009

Actually, I know 2. I just remembered the other. One is 4 years old and the other is a year and a half old.

Temp159135562506975 · March 2009

it's pretty damn popular/trendy.... #3 in 2007 is pretty popular if you ask me. this is from the SSN website.

Popularity of the female name Emma

Year of birth	Rank
2007	3
2006	2
2005	2
2004	2
2003	2
2002	4
2001	13
2000	17
1999	17
Note: Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth. Name data are from Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

SuzP · March 2009

I know two Emma's and DS has a friend in his pre-school class named Emme (similar).

luckibrat · March 2009

I don't know of any IRL. I was against using anything in the top 10 lists before I did a bit of research. I scoured SSA and data from the census bureau (national and state level) to figure out how many babies the SSA lists translate to. By my calculations (yes I am a nerd and a researcher IRL) for my state in 2007 (most recent data available), about 0.7 percent of all girls born were named Emma (about 400 statewide).

As a second check, I just found babynamesworld.com which also has a section with popularity charts and shows that nationally, about .87 percent of all girls born in 2007 were given that name. I don't know about you, but I am not freaking out about that number.

https://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/popularity_of_Emma.html

Good luck!