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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Emma....this name poses a dilemma...

65 replies

Chickenharissa · 22/05/2020 23:16

Hi,

Is it just me or is Emma making a comeback?

I am a child of the 80s and I was sick of the overused Emma, it never gave me “classic” vibes.

However all of a sudden now I’m falling in love with Emma. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy hormones? Or the recent movie release of Jane Austen’s “Emma”. However now I see it through classic and traditional tinted glasses. As well as it being associated with the elegant Emma Watson....

Amelia is so overused now, and Emily is classic but is so cute, that Emma seems so....understated and simply classic.
Is Emma making a comeback? Or is it dated and are my hormones playing up?

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Wheresthebiffer2 · 01/06/2020 22:26

Emma - a nice name.

PetraRabbit · 01/06/2020 17:06

Emma is beautiful and timeless in the same way as Anna or Kate. Nothing dated about it. I think people are thinking about Gemma if they say that!

seasidestarfish · 01/06/2020 16:26

I know 2 Emmas who are somewhere in the range of 19-22
It’s a bit bland for me sorry

IndiaMay · 01/06/2020 16:10

I'm not keen on Emma or Emily, they do seem dated to me.
Emilia is nice though overused
I like Emmeline.

bobble53 · 31/05/2020 22:57

Boring.

LilacSloth · 26/05/2020 14:22

I find it a bit dull. Prefer Emily.

scrivette · 26/05/2020 14:18

I know a 2 year old Emma, a 12 year old Emma, a 39 year old Emma and my Great Grandma was Emma, so I would say it's a pretty timeless name.

Abagobones · 26/05/2020 14:17

To me it's in the same set as Stacey and Kirstie. Very 80s. Alot of Emma's in my class in school

Mammyloveswine · 26/05/2020 14:17

It's my middle name! It's lovely...I do like Emily though!

I also like Clara, Esme and Elodie!

isabellerossignol · 26/05/2020 14:16

My mother is in her late 80s and says that to her, Emma is a name for old ladies (ie old ladies when she was a child, so born in maybe the 1870s). And she feels the same about the names Amy and Amelia and Charlotte.

It really tickled me when she told me that, thought it was a great example of how we view names through the lens of our own generation.

I think Emma is a lovely name, a timeless classic. I don't associate it with any particular era either.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 26/05/2020 14:15

Emma is one of those names you can't put a date on. Not the most popular, but no bad connotations.

(One of my DDs has name which MN declares I'll be '3 in every class' and one with mixed reviews from classic/timeless through to 'very dated'. The first one has never had another in her school let alone class until recently when she moved schools. The second one gets lots of comments on her beautiful name.)

sel2223 · 26/05/2020 14:09

My best friend is an Emma and I think it's a beautiful name.
Love Emmie as a nn too

35andThriving · 26/05/2020 14:05

Emma is lovely Smile

justhereforthetips · 23/05/2020 20:30

If this one is a girl she'll either be Emma or Sarah

Aclh13 · 23/05/2020 19:53

It's a great name, but very overused, it's my mums name who was born late 70's, I much prefer Emilie/emily, one of the top on my lists

HarrietM87 · 23/05/2020 19:51

It’s never gone away - last year was 56th most popular girls name in the UK so well within the top 100. It’s in the top 10 in the US I think.

Whatsyourflava · 23/05/2020 13:36

If you look at the official statistics, Emma's numbers have been consistently falling year on year for about the past 20 years. So no it's not making a comeback according to the data. Quite the opposite.

It's one of my favourite names. Can't really think of anything more classic than Emma

Dyra · 23/05/2020 11:59

Emma is a lovely name. I don't think it's a dated name at all. I was born mid-80's and there weren't any in my school years. I don't think I've known any outside of school either.

123Dancewithme · 23/05/2020 11:53

It’s ok. It does feel fresher than Emily.

Onceuponatimethen · 23/05/2020 09:39

@RaymondReddingtonMrs snap! I have NEVER met a nice one!

Spirali · 23/05/2020 09:13

What? Of course Emma is okay. It’s a perfectly normal name that nobody would bat an eyelid at.

wipeyourpawsplease · 23/05/2020 09:07

Plus Lucy. Insipid names

wipeyourpawsplease · 23/05/2020 09:06

I find it twee. As I do Sophie.

KittyMcKitty · 23/05/2020 09:03

Emma has never been a popular name on mumsnet Smile

I have an Emma (15) - she is the only Emma in her secondary school and was the only one at primary. There are thousands of Emily’s, Amalie’s, Amelia’s around.

Most importantly she loves her name and is far from being dull!

seriousandloyal · 23/05/2020 08:58

Emma is a lovely name

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