Esme is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Esme means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Esme across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Esme has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Esme is a girl name of French origin meaning “esteemed, beloved”. From Old French esme, related to esteem, originally a Scottish import.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 10,930 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 20,526 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,557 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 273 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 548 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Esme per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2016 (1,416/yr) · United States peaked in 2022 (1,053/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2018 (118/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2017 (62/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2024 (34/yr).
Esme has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2022, when it ranked #638 nationally (given to 2,329 babies that year).
Esmae · Asma · Ezma · Esmee · Isma · Ezmae · Osmo · Esma
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