Find out how popular the first name Essex has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Essex by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Essex is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 94% of people named Essex being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 16 male babies and 8 female babies born with the name Essex.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 8 baby girls were named Essex in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Essex

The name Essex is a toponymic name, derived from the county of Essex in England. The origin of the place name Essex can be traced back to the Old English words 'Eastseaxe', meaning 'the East Saxons'. This refers to the Germanic tribe that settled in the region during the 5th century AD, after the departure of the Roman legions from Britain.

The first recorded use of the name Essex dates back to the 7th century AD, when the Kingdom of Essex was established as one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The name appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record of events in early medieval England, which mentions the rulers of Essex during that period.

In later centuries, the name Essex gained popularity as a given name, particularly among the English nobility and gentry. One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Essex Digby, born in 1589, who was an English politician and member of the House of Commons.

Another prominent figure was Essex Cholmondeley, born in 1601, who was an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Malmesbury. In the 18th century, Essex Edgeworth, born in 1744, was an Irish politician and writer, best known for his memoirs and literary works.

During the 19th century, Essex Browne, born in 1823, was an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club. Essex Dane, born in 1784, was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

The name Essex has also appeared in various works of literature, including the plays of William Shakespeare. In "Henry V", the character of Essex is mentioned as one of the English noblemen participating in the Battle of Agincourt.

While the name Essex is primarily associated with England and its historical roots, it has also been adopted in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with strong cultural ties to Britain. However, its usage as a given name remains relatively uncommon compared to other English names.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Essex was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Essex, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!