Esme
Esme was the 298th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,032 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 383 places. More babies were named Esme in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning esteemed, loved (French Esmé) · French
Say it EZ-may /ˈɛzmeɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #298 girls, up 97 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,032girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20221,053 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,930babies recorded
What does the name Esme mean?
Esme is the English spelling of French Esmé, an old French name meaning "esteemed" or "loved", the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, "to esteem". It was used for men in Scotland from the 16th century, through the Franco-Scottish Esmé Stewart, and is now used mostly for girls. Wiktionary also lists Esme as a short form of Esmeralda. J. D. Salinger's story "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor" (1950) helped make it known.
esmer (Old French, “to esteem, value”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Old French source is standard but the record here relies on Wiktionary; needs a dictionary check.
Related names: Esmé, Esmée, Esmeralda.
See also: French names, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Esme', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Esme popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 10 since 2016.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #298 | 1,032 |
| 2020 | #395 | 788 |
| 2010 | #927 | 280 |
| 2000 | #3,684 | 35 |
| 1990 | #10,554 | 7 |
| 1980 | #10,863 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Esme, counting every spelling?
Esme is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #313 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #298 for Esme on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,057 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esme | 1,032 | #298 | 4,771 |
| Ezme | 25 | #5,138 | 120 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Esme?
1,032 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Esme (0.29 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Esme born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Esme.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Esme?
About 10,800 people born in the US named Esme are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 11. That makes Esme a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Esme by state
How common Esme was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (5.8×), Rhode Island (3.8×), South Dakota (3.0×), New Mexico (2.9×), Oregon (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Esme: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Esme, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Esme · Sibling names for Esme
Esme is also a nickname for Esmeralda.
Questions about the name Esme
What does Esme mean?
Esme means “esteemed, loved (French Esmé)” (French origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Esme?
Esme was the 298th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,032 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 383 places. More babies were named Esme in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Esme a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Esme in the US.
Where is Esme most popular?
In 2021–2025, Esme was most common in Maine (3.43 per 1,000 girls), followed by Rhode Island and South Dakota.