Fun Facts About the Name Esme
- More than 10 thousand babies named Esme: U.S. records list 10,917 babies given the name Esme from 1880 through 2025. Even 10 boys received the name Esme - about 1 boy for every 1,091 girls.
What Does the Name Esme Mean?
Esme is a name of French origin meaning 'esteemed' or 'loved.' It is an English form of the French Esmé (masculine) and Esmée (feminine). The source is the Old French past participle esmé, from the verb esmer, 'to esteem, to love.' That verb comes from Latin aestimare, 'to value, to estimate,' which also gave English esteem. The literal sense is 'esteemed' or 'valued'; the affectionate sense 'loved' belongs to the same verb. In English the accent marks are usually dropped.
Esme Name History & Origins
The French forms Esmé and Esmée were carried to Scotland in the 16th century by Esmé Stewart, seigneur d'Aubigny, a French-born nobleman who became 1st Duke of Lennox and a favorite of King James VI. Through him and later Stewart family members, Esmé became established in Scotland as a masculine name. In modern English, Esme is usually feminine. A famous later literary use is the title character of J. D. Salinger's 1950 short story 'For Esmé - with Love and Squalor'; this is a literary association, not the name's origin. The unaccented spelling Esme is common in English-speaking countries.
How Popular is the Name Esme?
Esme recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2022. Its best rank was #298 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #298 | 1,032 | 0.0642% |
| 2024 | #344 | 901 | 0.0559% |
| 2023 | #325 | 950 | 0.0593% |
| 2022 | #303 | 1,052 | 0.0642% |
| 2021 | #377 | 826 | 0.0504% |
| 2020 | #396 | 787 | 0.0487% |
| 2019 | #426 | 744 | 0.0443% |
| 2018 | #548 | 565 | 0.0332% |
| 2017 | #585 | 513 | 0.0297% |
| 2016 | #682 | 431 | 0.0243% |
| 2015 | #680 | 419 | 0.0235% |
| 2014 | #812 | 342 | 0.0191% |
| 2013 | #926 | 274 | 0.0156% |
| 2012 | #975 | 260 | 0.0148% |
| 2011 | #979 | 262 | 0.0149% |
| 2010 | #927 | 280 | 0.0158% |
| 2009 | #1,063 | 240 | 0.0131% |
| 2008 | #1,512 | 154 | 0.0081% |
| 2007 | #1,943 | 106 | 0.0055% |
| 2006 | #1,921 | 105 | 0.0055% |
| 2005 | #2,535 | 68 | 0.0037% |
| 2004 | #2,314 | 75 | 0.0041% |
| 2003 | #2,246 | 76 | 0.0042% |
| 2002 | #2,392 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 2001 | #3,268 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2000 | #3,684 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 1999 | #2,951 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 1998 | #3,953 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1997 | #4,712 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1996 | #5,128 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #5,282 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #5,090 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #6,054 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #10,843 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #9,605 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #10,554 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #13,005 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #8,638 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #8,227 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #7,295 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #11,176 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #10,910 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #9,379 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #7,689 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #4,594 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1980 | #10,865 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #8,459 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #8,303 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #8,713 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #6,857 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1953 | #5,931 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1939 | #4,449 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1913 | #3,343 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | #12,709 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,801 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Esme Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Esme's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Esme's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.