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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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sussexmum · 22/05/2020 23:54

I would have gone for Emma ..can't rember why I went for Eleanor instead. it's kinda plain name isn't it at the end of the day, says what it does on the tin...

tallulahbluebell · 23/05/2020 00:18

@Isadora2007
I'm a Dundonian Emma!
My surname then was also the name of a
product/thing so was all very funny in primary school.
I hated my name growing up as there was so many Emma's. It wasnt until I got older that I realised how many people still like the name and it is not so much seen as "common" now but traditional.

keepingbees · 23/05/2020 00:21

There was an Emma thread the other day and I've seen it mentioned a few times recently. I think you might be right in that it's making a comeback

Goggle1968 · 23/05/2020 00:33

I love it. I wanted it for my dd2 but we went for Emily in the end

LiviLoggs · 23/05/2020 00:43

I would say Emma is making a comeback, slowly though, I doubt it will be top of the charts anytime this year. I think it is a lovely name and pared with a long or short middle name would be lovely for a girl. It sounds elegant and classy but is also not too common and not too out there.

LiviLoggs · 23/05/2020 00:44

paired* (sorry, autocorrect!)

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 23/05/2020 01:38

l love it. Classic simple pretty sweet and elegant.
I don't think it's ever gone away, has it to be dated.

finallychangedmyusername · 23/05/2020 08:18

Emma is lovely and not dated to my ears. Agree it falls into the group of one of those names that is fuss-free, yet very feminine and suits babies, toddlers, girls and women. I also like Anna, Lucy, Kate and Amy.

RaymondReddingtonMrs · 23/05/2020 08:23

I don't like it but that's probably because I've known/know a few and they're all horrible!

SallyWD · 23/05/2020 08:28

I know one Emma who's 9 and one who's 10. I don't know any other Emmas who are children. I think it's a really lovely name.

BeenNeverSeen · 23/05/2020 08:31

I think it’s classic & a name that will never really go out of fashion. It was on my list, as was Sophie & I also put Katie & Lucy in that category. We went for Katie (morphing time Kate as DD gets older) & have had so many compliments about it being a classic, timeless name that doesn’t get heard so much anymore. Listen to your heart OP

pinkpinecone · 23/05/2020 08:31

Interesting it's so popular in the US. It is also one of the most popular names in Germany at the moment it may actually be number one. To me it just seems so 80s.

MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously · 23/05/2020 08:33

I think it's lovely. I also like Rachel and Sarah. If you forget about how overused they were in the 70s and 80s and just listen to the sound, they are really gently, elegant names.

snowone · 23/05/2020 08:36

I love Emma and also Emmie and Emily,

we have a niece with one of the above names, a cousin with one and a friends daughter with the other so they just weren't conducive!

Damn these inconsiderate people! 🤣

daisypond · 23/05/2020 08:43

It’s never gone away and is a classic. But I don’t like it much - and I like classic names. I find it too dull. Emma’s a lot better than Emily, though.

seriousandloyal · 23/05/2020 08:58

Emma is a lovely name

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!

wipeyourpawsplease · 23/05/2020 09:06

I find it twee. As I do Sophie.

wipeyourpawsplease · 23/05/2020 09:07

Plus Lucy. Insipid names

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.

Onceuponatimethen · 23/05/2020 09:39

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

123Dancewithme · 23/05/2020 11:53

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

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.

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

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.