Esme
Esmé or Esmée is a given name derived from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, "to esteem", thus signifying "esteemed", or similarly "beloved". Originally a masculine name, Esmé had become a feminine name by the mid-twentieth century.
Meaning & Origin of Esme
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Esmé or Esmée is a given name derived from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, "to esteem", thus signifying "esteemed", or similarly "beloved". Originally a masculine name, Esmé had become a feminine name by the mid-twentieth century.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Esme
Esme first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1913, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 1,052 Esmes were born — ranking #303 that year. As of 2026, Esme ranks #316 for baby girls with 986 births, rising sharply (+41% over the past five years). In total, more than 12K Esmes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Esme
Phonetically similar names — useful when Esme is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Esme
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About the name Esme
Esme is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 12K births in the dataset. Esme's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #303. Use the chart and map above to compare Esme's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.