Nameberry of the Day: Emma
April 15
Today marks the birthday of two remarkable actresses — Emma Watson, born April 15, 1990, and Emma Thompson, born April 15, 1959.
Emma Watson rose to fame as a child star through her portrayal of the beloved booksmart Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movie series. Since then, Watson has made a name for herself both through her numerous acting roles as well as through her activism and passion for women’s rights.
Emma Thompson’s career has spanned a few decades more, including numerous academy awards for her work as an actor, writer, and producer in theatre and film, and even being named a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 for her contributions to Drama.
Emma, extremely popular in the late 1800s, is now known as one of the ultimate Gen Z names. The name has ranked in the US Top 5 from 2002 (the year it was given to Rachel and Ross’s baby on the popular show Friends) to present day, in the footsteps of the similar sounding Emily.
While Emma and Emily may appear related, they come from separate roots. Sweet and simple Emma is of German origin, meaning “universal”.
If you like Emma but are put off by its popularity, check out this list of girl names like Emma, including lovely choices like Gemma, Emmeline, Etta, Embla, and Imogen.
In case you missed these Names of the Day:
Nameberry of the Week: Xanthe
Each Sunday, in replacement of the usual Name of the Day newsletter, we will be featuring a Name of the Week chosen by you! The Name of the Week will be selected through the “name of the day” thread over on the forums, where you can share a name you are feeling
Nameberry of the Day: Hugo
Humanist, diplomat, and lawyer Hugo Grotius — also known as Hugo de Groot — was born on April 10, 1583 in the Netherlands. Hugo has made major contributions to philosophy, political theory, and law — one of his lasting impacts being the notion of humans possessing “rights”