Fun Facts About the Name Esmeray
- 405 babies named Esmeray: U.S. records list 405 babies given the name Esmeray from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Esmeray Mean?
Esmeray is a Turkish feminine given name meaning "dark moon." It is a compound of two elements: Turkish esmer, meaning "dark," "brown," or "dark-complexioned," and ay, the Turkish word for "moon." The adjective esmer entered Turkish from Arabic asmar (أسمر), which describes a brown or dark skin tone; ay is a native Turkic noun. The literal sense of the whole name is therefore "dark moon," and it is sometimes glossed more loosely as "moonless night" or as a reference to the new moon, when the moon is not visible. That moonless-night reading is a customary interpretation rather than a separate etymology. Esmeray is not related to the Spanish name Esmeralda, which comes from the word for emerald, despite the similar opening sounds.
Esmeray Name History & Origins
Esmeray belongs to a large group of Turkish names built by joining a descriptive word to ay, "moon" - the same pattern seen in names such as Aysel, Aylin, and Nuray, where the moon element carries associations of light, night, and beauty. In Esmeray the modifier is a color and complexion term of Arabic origin, so the name combines a borrowed adjective with a native Turkic noun, a common result of centuries of contact between Turkish and Arabic.
Compounds of this kind became especially productive in Turkish personal naming during the twentieth century, when Turkish speakers increasingly favored names formed from Turkish words and elements over Arabic religious names. Esmeray fits that broad trend, but no specific earlier documented form or dated first use can be firmly attached to it, and it has no known classical or religious source. Its history is therefore a Turkish-language history rather than one traceable to an older foreign name.
How Popular is the Name Esmeray?
Esmeray has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,391 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 | #1,391 | 157 | 0.0098% |
| 2024 | #2,891 | 57 | 0.0035% |
| 2023 | #3,236 | 50 | 0.0031% |
| 2022 | #2,469 | 73 | 0.0045% |
| 2021 | #3,224 | 50 | 0.0030% |
| 2020 | #12,545 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #14,332 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #16,433 | 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.
Explore More Lists with Name Esmeray
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with E
How the Name Esmeray 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 are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Esmeray's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Esmeray's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.