Esme
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- EZ-may
- Origin
- French
- UK rank, 2025
- #46 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #298 for girls
Esme is a girls' name of French origin, meaning “esteemed, loved”. In 2025 it ranked 46th for girls in the UK (1,062 babies) and 298th for girls in the US (1,032 babies).
What does Esme mean?
French: from Old French esmé
“esteemed, loved”
First used in Scotland, where Esmé Stewart, Duke of Lennox, was a favourite of the young King James VI.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Esme a girl's or a boy's name?
Esme is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,062 girls in the UK and 1,032 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Esme in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 46th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 1,062 about 1 in 260 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 16% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 5.2% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 1,062 girls in the UK were named Esme, making it the 46th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 42nd. Its busiest year was 2016, with 1,530 girls.
Half of all the girls named Esme in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,440 girls in the UK were given Esme or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #33, up from #46 for this spelling alone.
Among girls in 2025, it was 45th in England and Wales, 38th in Scotland and 65th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#50) and 2024 (#51).
Esme in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,062 | #46 |
| 2024 | 1,000 | #49 |
| 2023 | 1,127 | #43 |
| 2022 | 1,238 | #39 |
| 2021 | 1,146 | #45 |
| 2020 | 1,157 | #42 |
| 2019 | 1,262 | #41 |
| 2018 | 1,368 | #40 |
| 2017 | 1,363 | #44 |
| 2016 | 1,530 | #38 |
| 2015 | 1,443 | #41 |
| 2014 | 1,233 | #53 |
| 2013 | 1,089 | #60 |
| 2012 | 984 | #68 |
| 2011 | 844 | #84 |
| 2010 | 863 | #81 |
| 2009 | 635 | #99 |
| 2008 | 583 | #107 |
| 2007 | 481 | #131 |
| 2006 | 455 | #135 |
| 2005 | 401 | #150 |
| 2004 | 350 | #168 |
| 2003 | 305 | #177 |
| 2002 | 223 | #219 |
| 2001 | 226 | #204 |
| 2000 | 261 | #185 |
| 1999 | 222 | #218 |
| 1998 | 225 | #219 |
| 1997 | 165 | #262 |
| 1996 | 143 | #280 |
How popular is Esme in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 298th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 1,032 about 1 in 1,600 girls
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 38% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 1,032 girls in the US were named Esme, making it the 298th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 395th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 1,053 girls. It first appears in the records in 1913.
Half of all the girls named Esme in the US since 1880 were born between 2015 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,263 girls in the US were given Esme or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #272, up from #298 for this spelling alone.
Esme in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,032 | #298 |
| 2024 | 908 | #343 |
| 2023 | 950 | #325 |
| 2022 | 1,053 | #304 |
| 2021 | 828 | #376 |
| 2020 | 788 | #395 |
| 2019 | 745 | #426 |
| 2018 | 565 | #547 |
| 2017 | 513 | #585 |
| 2016 | 431 | #682 |
| 2015 | 419 | #680 |
| 2014 | 342 | #812 |
| 2013 | 274 | #926 |
| 2012 | 260 | #975 |
| 2011 | 263 | #975 |
| 2010 | 280 | #925 |
| 2009 | 240 | #1,063 |
| 2008 | 154 | #1,508 |
| 2007 | 106 | #1,940 |
| 2006 | 105 | #1,918 |
| 2005 | 68 | #2,520 |
| 2004 | 75 | #2,306 |
| 2003 | 76 | #2,240 |
| 2002 | 67 | #2,376 |
| 2001 | 42 | #3,252 |
| 2000 | 35 | #3,659 |
| 1999 | 45 | #2,932 |
| 1998 | 29 | #3,911 |
| 1997 | 22 | #4,656 |
| 1996 | 19 | #5,060 |
| 1995 | 18 | #5,216 |
| 1994 | 19 | #5,011 |
| 1993 | 15 | #5,949 |
| 1992 | 7 | #10,471 |
| 1991 | 8 | #9,328 |
| 1990 | 7 | #10,187 |
| 1989 | 5 | #12,356 |
| 1988 | 8 | #8,386 |
| 1987 | 8 | #7,982 |
| 1986 | 9 | #7,130 |
| 1985 | 5 | #10,672 |
| 1984 | 5 | #10,417 |
| 1983 | 6 | #9,013 |
| 1982 | 8 | #7,467 |
| 1981 | 16 | #4,531 |
| 1980 | 5 | #10,390 |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 6 | #8,154 |
| 1975 | 6 | #7,982 |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 5 | #8,322 |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 5 | #6,566 |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 5 | #5,672 |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 5 | #4,248 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 5 | #3,185 |
Names like Esme
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Aria, Maisie, Mila, Harper, Zara, Luna, Maeve, Ava, Willow, Sienna, Freya, Elodie
Other spellings of Esme
Names related to Esme
More French names
Eleanor, Beau, Darcie, Darcy, Genevieve, Amy, Arleth, Elle, Russell, Monty, Mallory, Percy, Lacey, Belle, Quincy, Bruce
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Esme: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/esme, updated 20 October 2026.