Essie
Essie was the 3306th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 47 babies. Its best year was 1896, when it ranked 126th; the most babies were born in 1921 (1,032). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,024 places. More babies were named Essie in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Esther · English, Hebrew, Persian
Say it ES-ee /ˈɛsi/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,306 girls, up 894 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 47girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19211,032 babies
- Total since 1880
- 40,894babies recorded
What does the name Essie mean?
Essie is a pet form of Esther, and was often given as a full name in 19th-century America. Esther is the Jewish queen of Persia in the biblical book named after her. Its origin is disputed: DMNES and Wiktionary give either a Persian word for "star" or the name of the goddess Ishtar. The Bible also gives her Hebrew name, Hadassah, "myrtle" (Esther 2:7). Essie was most common in the US around 1900.
אֶסְתֵּר (Biblical Hebrew, “Ester; Persian "star" or Ishtar (disputed)”)
How sure is this? Well established. Esther itself is of disputed origin ("star" or "Ishtar").
Related names: Esther, Hester, Hadassah, Ettie.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Essie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Esther', DMNES (Durham University)
- Hebrew Bible, Esther 2:7, JPS Tanakh (Gender-Sensitive Edition) via Sefaria, Sefaria
Essie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,212 since 1881.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,306 | 47 |
| 2020 | #4,200 | 33 |
| 2010 | #9,406 | 12 |
| 2000 | #8,756 | 11 |
| 1990 | #4,041 | 25 |
| 1980 | #3,539 | 23 |
| 1970 | #1,838 | 48 |
| 1960 | #887 | 139 |
| 1950 | #459 | 313 |
| 1940 | #309 | 420 |
| 1930 | #250 | 617 |
| 1920 | #197 | 996 |
| 1910 | #134 | 620 |
| 1900 | #129 | 492 |
| 1890 | #138 | 256 |
| 1880 | #168 | 78 |
How popular is Essie, counting every spelling?
Essie is the most common spelling of a name family that had 52 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 52 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essie | 47 | #3,306 | 255 |
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 Essie?
47 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Essie (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Essie 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 179 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Essie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Essie?
About 7,200 people born in the US named Essie are alive today, with a median age of 75; half are between 63 and 83. That makes Essie a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Essie by state
How common Essie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 47 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Essie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Essie, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Essie · Sibling names for Essie
Essie is also a nickname for Esther.
Questions about the name Essie
What does Essie mean?
Essie means “pet form of Esther” (English, Hebrew, Persian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Essie?
Essie was the 3306th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 47 babies. Its best year was 1896, when it ranked 126th; the most babies were born in 1921 (1,032). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,024 places. More babies were named Essie in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Essie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Essie in the US.
Where is Essie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Essie was most common in Alabama (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Georgia.