Gemma is a distinctive choice, ranked #1541 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Gemma in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#1541
US Rank #203
About the Name Gemma
Gemma is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 759 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #50 in 1996 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has broken into the UK top 100 on 6 occasions, signalling genuine mainstream interest.
Gemma is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #203, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Gemma
Unlikely. With around 20 UK babies named Gemma per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Gemma in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Gemma is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 759 places over the last five years to #1541 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Gemma is more popular in the US (#203) than in the UK (#1541). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Gemma include: Gemma Ward — Gemma Louise Ward is an Australian model and actress.; Gemma O'Doherty — Gemma O'Doherty is an Irish far-right activist and conspiracy theorist.; Gemma Merna — Gemma Merna is an English actress and model..
Gemma appears in the US top 500 at #203 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
20
UK babies named Gemma (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 759 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Gemma
Likely around 1 other Gemma in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Gemma
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Gemma Louise Ward is an Australian model and actress. Born in Perth, Western Australia, Ward was first scouted at the age of 14, and made her Australian Fashion Week debut aged 15.
Gemma O'Doherty is an Irish far-right activist and conspiracy theorist. She began her career as a staff writer for the Irish Independent, contributing articles on travel, the criminal justice system and corruption, but was dismissed in 2013.
Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani, also known as Gemma of Lucca, was an Italian mystic, canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church in 1940. She has been called the "daughter of the Passion" because of her profound imitation of the Passion of Christ.
Gemma Frisius was a Dutch physician, mathematician, cartographer, philosopher, and instrument maker. He created important globes, improved the mathematical instruments of his day and applied mathematics in new ways to surveying and navigation.