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Esmeralda Name Meaning, Origins & History

Esmeralda

Pronunciation: ez-muh-RAHL-duh

Meaning Emerald Origin Spanish Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#373
TREND
23
Peak Years
1998, 1999, 2007
Lowest Years
1911, 1933, 1923
Energy Archetype
Versatile & Freedom-Loving

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Esmeralda in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Esmeralda

  • More than 51 thousand babies named Esmeralda: U.S. records list 51,746 babies given the name Esmeralda from 1880 through 2025. Even 180 boys received the name Esmeralda - about 1 boy for every 286 girls.

What Does the Name Esmeralda Mean?

Esmeralda is a Spanish and Portuguese feminine name meaning "emerald," the green gemstone. It comes directly from the Spanish and Portuguese word esmeralda, which descends from Old Spanish esmeralda and ultimately from Latin smaragdus, itself a borrowing from Greek smaragdos (σμάραγδος), the word for the gem. The literal meaning is therefore the stone itself, not a symbolic quality.

The Greek term for the gem is generally thought to be borrowed from a Semitic language. Suggested relatives include Hebrew bareqet and Akkadian barraqtu, forms tied to a root meaning "to flash" or "lightning," which would describe a bright, flashing stone. This Semitic origin is the usual explanation but is not fully certain, and the exact source remains debated.

Esmeralda Name History & Origins

Esmeralda is the ordinary Spanish and Portuguese word for the emerald, and the given name grew out of that word in the Iberian Peninsula. As a personal name it is recorded in the Spanish-speaking world well before the nineteenth century, so its later fame in fiction should not be confused with its origin.

The name became widely familiar through Victor Hugo's 1831 novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame), in which a young Roma woman is called Esmeralda, a name given to her in the story because of an emerald-colored token she wears. In the novel her original baptismal name is Agnès, and Esmeralda is the name by which she is known. The book and its many stage and film adaptations carried the name far beyond Iberia and helped establish it in French and, later, English usage. Through Spanish and Portuguese speakers and through translations of the novel, the name also spread to the Americas and to other regions.

In English the name is used mainly in its Spanish form, without an equivalent native English variant, and it keeps its transparent link to the gemstone.

How Popular is the Name Esmeralda?

Esmeralda recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1998. Its best rank was #133 in 1998.

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.

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 Esmeralda 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.

✦ Esmeralda's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Esmeralda's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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