The first name Esme
A girl’s name from French.
2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
French origin
Anglicized spelling of French Esmé.
Esme is a short form of
.From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 933 girls were named Esme, making it the 45th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 1,416 births (#35).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Esme with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Esme at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,032 girls born in the United States were named Esme, the 298th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 1,053 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Esmeh
Famous people named Esme
7 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Esme MorganEnglish footballer, born 2000
- Esmé BiancoBritish actress, born 1982
- Esmé Creed-MilesEnglish actress, born 2000
- Esme BoothBritish rower, born 1998
- Esme MackinnonAlpine skier (1913-1999)
- Esme PercyBritish actor (1887-1957)
- Esmé KamphuisDutch heptathlete & bobsledder, born 1983
More French girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Esme mean?
- Anglicized spelling of French Esmé.
- What is the origin of the name Esme?
- Anglicized spelling of French Esmé.
- How popular is the name Esme?
- In 2025, 933 girls born in England and Wales were named Esme, ranking 45th. Its peak was 2016, with 1,416 births.
- Is Esme a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 10,930 US babies named Esme since 1880 were girls.
- When was Esme most popular?
- 2022 in the United States, when 1,053 babies were named Esme, its highest rank at 304th.
- What are other spellings of Esme?
- Esmeh.