Fun Facts About the Name Essex
- 443 babies named Essex: U.S. records list 443 babies given the name Essex from 1880 through 2025. Even 8 girls received the name Essex - about 1 girl for every 54 boys.
What Does the Name Essex Mean?
Essex means "East Saxons," from the Old English Ēastseaxe, a compound of ēast ("east") and Seaxe ("Saxons"). The tribal name Seaxe is usually traced to the Old English seax, a single-edged knife or short sword, so the Saxon name may originally have referred to a people associated with that weapon; some scholars treat this derivation as likely rather than certain.
In Old English usage the word named a people, not a place: the Saxons living east of London, as opposed to the Middle Saxons (Middlesex), South Saxons (Sussex), and West Saxons (Wessex). In time Ēastseaxe shifted from the group to the territory they held, so the modern name denotes a region rather than a tribe. The name is not related to other English names that merely resemble it.
Essex Name History & Origins
Germanic settlers established themselves north of the Thames estuary in the early Anglo-Saxon period, and by the sixth century their territory was known as the kingdom of the East Saxons. Bede, writing in the eighth century, called them the Orientales Saxones in Latin. Their king Sæberht was converted to Christianity by Mellitus, who was made bishop of the East Saxons in 604, the year the first St Paul's Cathedral in London was founded. The kingdom's core lay in the area of the later county of Essex, and at various times it extended over London, Middlesex, and Hertfordshire.
Essex was drawn into the orbit of larger neighbors and was recorded as a distinct territory in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; in 825 it came under the overlordship of Ecgberht of Wessex. After the Norman Conquest the area became the county of Essex, and the earldom of Essex was held in turn by several noble families, including the Mandevilles and later the Devereux. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, was a prominent figure at the court of Elizabeth I.
As a personal name, Essex is uncommon. It is a transferred use of the English surname, which itself comes from the county, and it shares the pattern of English place names and surnames occasionally taken as first names. In the United States the word appears far more often in place names such as Essex County in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia than as a given name.
How Popular is the Name Essex?
Essex recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #809 in 1894.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #11,507 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,758 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2024 | #5,495 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2023 | #5,735 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #6,941 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #7,245 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #11,181 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #11,146 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #11,101 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #12,712 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #12,880 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #13,058 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #13,146 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2004 | #11,911 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #8,587 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #5,009 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #5,572 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #4,570 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #3,736 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #4,826 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #4,607 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #4,146 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,182 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #3,693 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,305 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #3,043 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #3,986 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #3,487 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #2,912 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #2,865 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #3,846 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,910 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #3,678 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1945 | #3,472 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #2,615 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1941 | #2,965 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #3,612 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #2,674 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1937 | #3,271 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1935 | #3,837 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1931 | #2,929 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #3,110 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1929 | #2,487 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1927 | #4,391 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1926 | #3,219 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1925 | #3,884 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,561 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #2,823 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1921 | #4,021 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #3,977 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #2,737 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1918 | #3,873 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1917 | #4,175 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1915 | #2,906 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1914 | #3,416 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| 1902 | #1,188 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1896 | #1,151 | 5 | 0.0042% |
| 1894 | #809 | 8 | 0.0069% |
| 1891 | #1,017 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1889 | #1,018 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1883 | #944 | 5 | 0.0048% |
| 1882 | #986 | 5 | 0.0044% |
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 Essex 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 desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Essex's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Essex's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.