Given name & surname
Esme
“one who is esteemed”
Esme is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “one who is esteemed.”
Original FrenchEsmé
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “one who is esteemed.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
How it developed
In English usage, Esme is a diminutive of Esmeralda. In English usage, Esme developed from Esmé.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Esme through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,930
- 10 boys · 10,920 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 1,053 babies
- 2025
- 1,032
- #298 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +57%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,032 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 298 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 56.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (112). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,818 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Esme’s family of names
In English usage, Esme is a diminutive of Esmeralda. In English usage, Esme developed from the French form Esmé. Esme has a related form in Esmee.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Esme
- Esme MorganEnglish footballerborn 2000
- Esme BoothBritish rowerborn 1998
- Esme Mackinnonalpine skier (1913-1999)
- Esmée SimiriotiGreek tennis player (1884–1982)
Characters named Esme: Esme Cullen (Twilight).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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