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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Emma f. Originally a hypocoristic of various names beginning with Old High German ermen, Old Saxon irmin 'strong', the name quickly gained existence as an independent name.

The name of an 11th C queen consort of England, Denmark, and Norway, and an 11th C Austrian saint.

Belgium
Latin
1050 Emma (nom) CRS-2-5 p. 232
England
Latin
1155 Emmæ (gen) FPD p. 121, fn. 1; 1189 Ema (nom) GASurv p. 115, Emma (nom) ibid. p. 199, Imma (nom) ibid. p. 156; 1222 Emma (nom) StPaulDom p. 2, emme (gen) ibid. p. 39; 1256 Emma (nom) EARNb p. 2, Emmam (acc) ibid. p. 2; 1279–80 Emma (nom) WaHR-SK p. 42, Emmam (acc) ibid. p. 56, Emme (dat) ibid. p. 37; 1300 Emma (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 237; 1321 Emme (gen) PSS-CXIV 6; 1340xc1450 Emma (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 2; 1377 Emma (nom) FenPT-2 p. 5; 1381 Emma (nom) ibid. p. 6, Suffolk1381 p. 68, Emme (nom) ibid. p. 73
1377 Emmota (nom) FenPT-2 p. 4; 1423 Emmotæ (gen) WillsInv L; 1485–1486 Emmota (abl) CovGuild-2 p. 73; 1559/60 Emott (nom) Chst-1 p. 10
Middle English
1418 Emet EEW p. 33, Emot ibid. p. 33
Early Modern English
1530 Em LIWill-III p. 21; 1540 Eme BEmar-vol1 p. 2; 1545 Emme StNick-Sf p. 2; 1547 Emme WAmar-1 p. 107; 1549 Emma StAnthonlin p. 7; 1550 Eme ibid. p. 8; 1551 Emme WAmar-1 p. 108; 1552 Eme BEmar-vol1 p. 4; 1558 Em SOmar-vol9 p. 1; 1559 Emme BEmar-vol2 p. 53; 1560 Eme COmar-vol2 p. 47, Emma HAmar-vol9 p. 2; 1564 Em BarnstapleBap p. 13, Eme BEmar-vol1 p. 7; 1565 Eme WAmar-1 p. 75; 1566 Eme BEmar-vol1 p. 8, COmar-vol2 p. 48; 1567 Emme SaxhamSf p. 2; 1568 Emma ExMar 2b; 1570 Emma BUmar-vol2 p. 61; 1571 Eme BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1575 Emma HAmar-vol9 p. 15; 1576 Em OrpingtonKe p. 4, Eme BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1580 Eme HAmar-vol9 p. 68; 1584 Eme DEmar-vol2 p. 10; 1586 Emma BUmar-vol2 p. 64; 1588 Emm DEmar-vol2 p. 16; 1592 Eme HAmar-vol9 p. 140; 1593 Em COmar-vol2 p. 72; 1594 Em BUmar-vol9 p. 8, COmar-vol2 p. 72; 1596 Eme DEmar-vol2 p. 33; 1598 Eme BEmar-vol1 p. 17; 1599 Em DEmar-vol2 p. 40, Emm COmar-vol2 p. 24
1530 Emmot LIWill-III p. 40, Emot ibid. p. 28; 1555 Emet BarnstapleBap p. 9, Emott bruton-vol1 p. 27; 1560 Emmyn ibid. p. 110; 1572 Emott ibid. p. 40; 1575 Emmott COmar-vol2 p. 122; 1580 Emote DEmar-vol1 p. 84, Emott bruton-vol1 p. 44
France
Latin
a993? Emma (nom) CartSavII 103, Emmę (gen) ibid. 103; 1064x1079 Ema (nom) StVdM-II 690; 1113 Emme (gen) CartNDJosaphat III; 1131 Ema (nom) CartNDSaintes XXIII; 1180 Emme (gen) RotScaNor p. 34
Germany
Latin
822x875 Emme (abl) TradCorb §21
Ireland
Latin
fin12thC Emme (gen) MunDocIr III, p. 5
Spain
Latin
875 Emmone (abl) CDCB-XV MMXVI; 896 Emmo (nom) ibid. MMXIX, Emmone (abl) ibid. MMXIX; 899 Hemmone (abl) ibid. MMXXII; 1006 Ema (abl) ibid. MMCLXV, Emam (acc) ibid. MMCLXV
Switzerland
Latin
1215 Emma (nom) CartHaut 34
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Emma". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2016/3/name/Emma.