Esmae
Meaning "beloved" or "precious one", Esmae is a feminine name of uncertain origin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,367 living Americans carry the first name Esmae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Esmae today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Esmae births was 2022 (170 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Esmae. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Esmae is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 7 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 250,735 Americans
Peak year
2022
170 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,011
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Esmae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Esmae from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 678 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Esmae by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Esmae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Esmaes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 25 states and territories. California, Michigan, Texas recorded the most babies named Esmae, while Nevada, Kansas, Iowa recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Esmae
The given name Esmae is a variant spelling of the name Esme, which has its origins in the French language. The name is derived from the Old French word "esmée," meaning "beloved" or "esteemed." It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, in regions where Old French was spoken, such as modern-day France and parts of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th-century French epic poem "Roman de la Rose," where a character named Esme is mentioned. In the 14th century, an English noblewoman named Esme de Gaunt was recorded as having this name.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Esmae or its variants. One such figure was Esme Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox (1542-1583), a Scottish nobleman who served as Lord High Admiral of Scotland and was a prominent figure during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Another historical figure with this name was Esme de Valois (1572-1637), a French princess who was the daughter of King Henry III of France and Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont. She became a nun and later served as the abbess of the Convent of Saint-Pierre in Reims.
In the 17th century, Esme Cavendish (1623-1676) was an English noblewoman and the second wife of William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She is known for her writings on natural philosophy and her support of the arts.
During the 18th century, Esme Jenkinson (1720-1805) was a British lawyer and politician who served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and later as a member of Parliament.
In more recent times, Esme Patterson (born 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, known for her work with the band Paper Bird and her solo career.
While the name Esmae has seen variations in spelling and popularity throughout different eras and cultures, its roots can be traced back to the French language and its meaning of "beloved" or "esteemed," reflecting the enduring appeal of this name.
People
Esmae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Esmae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Esmae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Esmae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,367 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Esmae going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 250,735 US residents.
Is Esmae a common name?
We classify Esmae as "Rare". It ranks above 91.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,376 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Esmae most popular?
The single biggest year for Esmae was 2022, when 170 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Esmae is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Esmae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Esmae in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.