Jemma
Jemma was the 866th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 313 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 528th with 594 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 177 places. More babies were named Jemma in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning gem (variant of Gemma) · Latin, Italian
Say it JEM-uh /ˈdʒɛmə/
- Rank in 2025
- #866 girls, down 282 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 313girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2018594 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,002babies recorded
What does the name Jemma mean?
Jemma is a spelling of Gemma, according to Wiktionary, and is sometimes also used as a feminine of James or Jem by folk etymology. DMNES explains Gemma as Latin gemma, gem or precious stone, or as a medieval Italian feminine form of James. DMNES records Gemma in medieval Italy from the 10th century and in England from the 13th. Jemma has been used in the US since 1915.
gemma (Latin, “gem, precious stone; bud”)
How sure is this? Probable. DMNES gives two sources for Gemma ('gem' or a form of James).
Related names: Gemma, Gem, Jem, Emma.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jemma' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gemma', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Jemma popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #866 | 313 |
| 2020 | #584 | 500 |
| 2010 | #852 | 315 |
| 2000 | #4,465 | 27 |
| 1990 | #7,057 | 12 |
| 1980 | #8,507 | 7 |
| 1970 | #6,611 | 7 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #4,875 | 5 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jemma, counting every spelling?
Jemma is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #809 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #866 for Jemma on its own. Together these spellings went to 335 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jemma | 313 | #866 | 1,994 |
| Jema | 15 | #7,281 | 55 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jemma?
313 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jemma (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Jemma born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 27 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jemma.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jemma?
About 7,900 people born in the US named Jemma are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 14. That makes Jemma a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jemma by state
How common Jemma was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Idaho (2.8×), Iowa (2.0×), Missouri (1.9×), Minnesota (1.8×), Utah (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Carolina, Nevada, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jemma: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jemma, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jemma · Sibling names for Jemma
Questions about the name Jemma
What does Jemma mean?
Jemma means “gem (variant of Gemma)” (Latin, Italian origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Jemma?
Jemma was the 866th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 313 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 528th with 594 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 177 places. More babies were named Jemma in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Jemma a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Jemma in the US.
Where is Jemma most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jemma was most common in Idaho (0.69 per 1,000 girls), followed by Iowa and Nebraska.