NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Jemima

A Hebrew feminine name meaning "dove" or "precious stone".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Jemima is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Jemima popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #460, with 90 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 339 births.

This profile covers 6,454 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 6,539 living people in the UK are called Jemima. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Jemima ranked #460 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 90 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 339 girls were registered as Jemima.
  • Jemima ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.
  • About 6,539 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jemima as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#460

2024

Births in 2024

90

Latest year

Peak year

2008

339 births

Estimated living

6,539

2026

Meaning

What does Jemima mean?

The name Jemima originated from the Hebrew language, derived from the biblical name Yemima, which means "dove" or "little dove." The name is mentioned in the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible, where Yemima is listed as one of the three daughters of Job, born to him after his trials and tribulations.

The name Jemima first appeared in ancient Hebrew texts, specifically in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Book of Job, believed to have been written around the 6th century BCE, is one of the earliest known references to this name. In the biblical context, Yemima (Jemima) symbolized peace, gentleness, and purity, qualities often associated with doves.

The earliest recorded use of the name Jemima can be traced back to the 17th century. One notable bearer of this name was Jemima Howe (1666-1737), an English-American settler in Massachusetts who was captured by Native Americans during King Philip's War in 1675 and later released.

Another famous Jemima was Jemima Wilkinson (1752-1819), an American preacher and founder of a religious society known as the Universal Friends. She claimed to have died and been reborn as a genderless evangelical prophet, taking on the name "Publick Universal Friend."

In the 19th century, Jemima Wedgwood (1828-1912), a British social reformer and member of the famous Wedgwood family of potters, was a prominent figure. She was actively involved in various educational and charitable initiatives.

Jemima Shore (1801-1876), an English painter and a member of the Royal Academy, was known for her portraits and subject paintings. She was one of the first women to be elected as an Academician at the Royal Academy in 1849.

Jemima Boone (1762-1834), the daughter of the famous American frontiersman Daniel Boone, was born and raised in the Kentucky wilderness. She was captured by Native Americans in 1776 and later released, becoming a symbol of resilience and strength in the face of adversity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Jemima over time

The chart below shows babies named Jemima registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Jemima, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 90 births in 2024, compared with 339 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Jemima
085170254339199620102024

Decades

Jemima by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jemima was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #403 547 5
2010s #223 2,345 10
2000s #181 2,714 10
1990s #205 848 4

Geography

Where Jemima is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jemima. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Jemima ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Jemima in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#792 in 2021

25 years of NRS records, 105 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#432 in 2017

5 years of NISRA records, 17 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Jemima

  • Jemima Stewart

    born 2017; twin daughter of Alexander Stewart, Lord Garlies, and Philippa Baillie

    2017-

  • Jemima Abey

    actor

    Television actress

    2000-

  • Jemima Lucy Katharine Davis

    (born 1996)

    1996-

  • Jemima Jane Kirkwood

    (born 1987)

    1987-

  • Jemima Kelly

    journalist

    British journalist

    1985-

  • Jemima Kirke

    actor; painter; film director; film actor

    British-American artist and actress

    1985-

  • Jemima Victoria Garthwaite

    (born 1984)

    1984-

  • Jemima Alice Charlotte Ensor

    (born 1982)

    1982-

Related

Names similar to Jemima

FAQ

Jemima: questions and answers

How popular is the name Jemima in the UK right now?

In 2024, Jemima was ranked #460 for girls in England and Wales, with 90 births registered.

When was Jemima most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 339 babies registered as Jemima in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Jemima?

A Hebrew feminine name meaning "dove" or "precious stone".

How many people are called Jemima in the UK?

A total of 6,454 babies have been registered as Jemima across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 105 more in Scotland and 17 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Jemima most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Jemima ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #432 in 2017. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.