# Jemima (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/jemima/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Hebrew |
| Meaning | “dove” |
| Pronunciation | /d͡ʒəˈmaɪmə/, 3 syllables |
| Nicknames | Jem |
| Variant spellings | Gemima |
| US babies named this | 1,832 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 0 / 1,832 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 6,544, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

From the name of a minor biblical character, from Hebrew יְמִימָה (“dove”). By folk etymology also used as a feminine form of James.

## What it means

Jemima is grouped under bird.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 40 | 3,806 |
| 2012 | 42 | 3,745 |
| 2013 | 44 | 3,531 |
| 2014 | 55 | 3,056 |
| 2015 | 35 | 4,182 |
| 2016 | 44 | 3,553 |
| 2017 | 38 | 3,948 |
| 2018 | 64 | 2,697 |
| 2019 | 46 | 3,416 |
| 2020 | 34 | 4,112 |
| 2021 | 41 | 3,707 |
| 2022 | 54 | 3,051 |
| 2023 | 62 | 2,774 |
| 2024 | 56 | 2,952 |
| 2025 | 43 | 3,544 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 296 | 176 |
| 2012 | 254 | 196 |
| 2013 | 230 | 222 |
| 2014 | 252 | 211 |
| 2015 | 255 | 213 |
| 2016 | 237 | 221 |
| 2017 | 217 | 231 |
| 2018 | 159 | 297 |
| 2019 | 178 | 273 |
| 2020 | 142 | 320 |
| 2021 | 124 | 371 |
| 2022 | 102 | 416 |
| 2023 | 89 | 449 |
| 2024 | 90 | 460 |
| 2025 | 90 | 444 |

## In other languages

- Finnish: Jemina

## People named Jemima

- Jemima Kirke, British-American artist and actress
- Jemima Montag, Australian racewalker
- Jemima Goldsmith, British screenwriter, television, film and documentary producer
- Jemima Rooper, British actress
- Jemima West, French actress
- Jemima Blackburn, British artist (1823-1909)
- Jemma Redgrave, British actress

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.