The first name Esmeralda
A girl’s name from Spanish meaning “emerald”.
Pronounced /ɛzməˈɹɑːldə/ 4 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Spanish origin
Esmeralda means “emerald” in Spanish.
From Spanish esmeralda (“emerald”), as first used in the novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) by Victor Hugo.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 40 girls were named Esmeralda, making it the 872nd most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Esmeralda with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Esmeralda at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 823 girls born in the United States were named Esmeralda, the 373rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1998, when 2,477 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.
Esmeralda in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Esmeralda in Portuguese and Spanish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Esmeralda
Famous people named Esmeralda
6 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Princess Marie-Esméralda, Lady MoncadaBelgian princess, youngest child of Leopold III of Belgium and Lilian, Princess of Réthy, born 1956
- Esmeralda PimentelAmerican Mexican actress and model, born 1988
- Esmeralda de Jesus GarciaBrazilian sprinter, long and triple jumper, born 1959
- Esmeralda Arboleda CadavidColombian politician, suffragist, 1921–1997
- Caro EmeraldDutch female singer, born 1981
- Clotilde Cerdà i BoschCatalan musician, 1861–1926
More Spanish girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Esmeralda mean?
- Esmeralda means “emerald” in Spanish.
- What is the origin of the name Esmeralda?
- From Spanish esmeralda (“emerald”), as first used in the novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) by Victor Hugo.
- How popular is the name Esmeralda?
- In 2025, 40 girls born in England and Wales were named Esmeralda, ranking 872nd.
- What are nicknames for Esmeralda?
- Common nicknames for Esmeralda include Esme.
- Is Esmeralda a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 51,751 US babies named Esmeralda since 1880 were girls.
- When was Esmeralda most popular?
- 1998 in the United States, when 2,477 babies were named Esmeralda, its highest rank at 133rd.
- How do you pronounce Esmeralda?
- Esmeralda is /ɛzməˈɹɑːldə/, 4 syllables.