Fun Facts About the Name Esperance
- 33 babies named Esperance: U.S. records list 33 babies given the name Esperance from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Esperance Mean?
Esperance means "hope." It is the French form of a name built on the Latin sperantia, "hope, expectation," which comes from the verb sperare, "to hope," and the noun spes, "hope." The same Latin root lies behind the Spanish Esperanza and the Italian Speranza, so these are close relatives rather than separate coinages. In English, esperance was borrowed from Old French as an ordinary word meaning "hope"; it is now archaic but still occasionally used in poetry and heraldic mottos. The literal sense of the name and its sentimental associations with optimism are the same: the name simply is the word for hope.
Esperance Name History & Origins
The name comes from Old French esperance, the common medieval word for "hope," which became modern French espérance. As a personal name, Espérance belongs to the French tradition of virtue names, alongside Foi (faith) and Charité (charity); of the three, Espérance has been the most often given to girls. The name is still used in France and in French-speaking regions of Africa and the Caribbean, and it has also appeared among English speakers, where the older English word esperance had long been familiar.
The French word also crossed into English directly: Middle English took esperance from Old French, and it appears in later English verse and in mottoes, which is one route by which the form rather than the modern French spelling became known in English-speaking countries. A separate and unrelated use of the word is geographical. The French explorer Bruni d'Entrecasteaux sailed with two ships, Recherche and Espérance, on his expedition of 1791 - 1794, and Esperance in Western Australia was named for the ship, not for the personal name.
How Popular is the Name Esperance?
Esperance 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 #5,070 in 1918.
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 | #11,248 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #16,045 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #15,995 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #15,841 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1925 | #5,230 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1918 | #5,070 | 5 | 0.0004% |
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 Esperance 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.
✦ Esperance's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Esperance's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.