Ezmerelda
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "emerald" or "immortal".
Name Census estimates that about 96 living Americans carry the first name Ezmerelda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ezmerelda today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ezmerelda births was 2023 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ezmerelda. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ezmerelda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
96
~ 1 in 3,570,358 Americans
Peak year
2023
13 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,389
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Ezmerelda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ezmerelda from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 54 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ezmerelda remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ezmerelda 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 Ezmerelda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ezmerelda
The name Ezmerelda is believed to have originated from the Old French language, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be a combination of two Old French words, "esmeraude" meaning "emerald" and "alde" meaning "noble" or "wise." This suggests that the original meaning of the name may have been "noble emerald" or "wise emerald."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ezmerelda can be found in the famous French epic poem "The Song of Roland," written in the late 11th century. The poem features a character named Ezmerelda, though little is known about her role or significance in the story.
In the 15th century, a French noblewoman named Ezmerelda de Montfort (1420-1498) gained recognition for her involvement in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. She is said to have been a skilled strategist and advisor to several French kings during the conflict.
The name Ezmerelda also appears in Victor Hugo's classic 19th-century novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame." The character Esmeralda, a beautiful gypsy dancer, is one of the central figures in the story and serves as the love interest of the hunchback Quasimodo.
In the realm of music, Ezmerelda was the name of an American blues singer and songwriter, Ezmerelda Hill (1905-1986), who was active in the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for her powerful vocals and memorable performances in various clubs and venues across the United States.
Another notable figure with the name Ezmerelda was Ezmerelda Stratton (1890-1976), an American actress and vaudeville performer. She gained fame for her comedic roles and appearances in various stage productions during the early 20th century.
While the name Ezmerelda has roots in Old French and has been present throughout history, it has never been a particularly common name. However, its unique sound and connection to literary and historical figures have contributed to its enduring appeal and continued use over the centuries.
People
Ezmerelda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ezmerelda 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
Ezmerelda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ezmerelda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 96 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ezmerelda 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 3,570,358 US residents.
Is Ezmerelda a common name?
We classify Ezmerelda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 97 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ezmerelda most popular?
The single biggest year for Ezmerelda was 2023, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ezmerelda is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ezmerelda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ezmerelda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ezmerelda 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.
Is Ezmerelda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ezmerelda in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ezmerelda can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Ezmerelda?
Want to know how many Americans are named Ezmerelda? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.