Probably a variant of Gemma or Jemima; Gemma means "gem," while Jemima comes from Hebrew meaning "dove."
Jema is most naturally understood as a streamlined variant of Jemima, a name with deep biblical roots. In Hebrew, *yemimah* (יְמִימָה) is generally interpreted to mean "dove" — an image of peace, gentleness, and new beginnings that recurs throughout the ancient world's symbolic vocabulary. In the Book of Job, Jemimah is one of the three daughters born to Job after his trials end and his fortunes are restored, and the text notably mentions that Job's daughters were the most beautiful women in all the land and received an equal inheritance with their brothers — an unusual detail that has made the name resonant for those interested in the thread of women's dignity in scripture.
As Jemima, the name enjoyed broad use in England and the American colonies through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, appearing in Puritan naming registers as a virtue-adjacent biblical choice. The shortened form Jema carries the sonic heart of the name — that warm open *J* and the soft *-ma* ending — while feeling lighter and more modern. It also echoes Gemma, the Italian gem-name, giving it an additional European association with preciousness and brilliance.
In contemporary usage Jema functions as a quietly distinctive choice: recognizable in shape but not overcrowded on class lists, rooted in one of the Bible's most quietly feminist stories, and phonetically gentle. The name suits families who want something with genuine historical depth that still feels fresh and unheavy — a name with a dove's flight rather than a monument's weight.