Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2007

Esau

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,205 Trend → Stable

From Ancient Greek Ἡσαῦ (Hēsaû), from Biblical Hebrew עֵשָׂו (ʿēśāw).

Rank 2025
#3,205
among boys · ↓140 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
37
named Esau · -7% vs 2024
How common
1 in 46,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2007
82 babies
All-time total
2,976
#2,553 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Esau popularity over time

2,976 babies have been named Esau since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1902Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 10 1 – #957
1890s 28 3 +180% #926
1900s 34 3 +21% #964
1910s 127 13 +274% #1,427
1920s 156 16 +23% #1,650
1930s 150 15 -4% #1,429
1940s 160 16 +7% #1,646
1950s 155 16 -3% #1,626
1960s 114 11 -26% #2,074
1970s 149 15 +31% #2,121
1980s 245 25 +64% #1,905
1990s 368 37 +50% #1,787
2000s 644 64 +75% #1,616
2010s 409 41 -36% #2,271
2020s (to 2025) 227 38 -7% #2,887

Where Esau is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 38 0.02 outside top 500
2027 38 0.02 outside top 500
2028 38 0.02 outside top 500
2029 39 0.02 outside top 500
2030 39 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Esau

Esau is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,205 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,976 American babies have been named Esau. Its peak came in 2007, when 82 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Esau stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Esau?

The median living Esau is about 24 years old; half are between 15 and 40. An estimated 2,300 people named Esau are alive in the United States today.

median 24 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Esau year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 37 #3,205
2024 40 #3,065
2023 33 #3,496
2022 44 #2,887
2021 35 #3,320
2020 38 #3,035
2019 33 #3,442
2018 37 #3,123
2017 25 #4,146
2016 48 #2,596
2015 39 #2,987
2014 41 #2,857
2013 35 #3,146
2012 47 #2,608
2011 47 #2,597
2010 57 #2,271
2009 59 #2,236
2008 72 #1,972
2007 82 #1,785
2006 73 #1,864
2005 63 #1,992
2004 63 #1,940
2003 55 #2,062
2002 46 #2,265
2001 58 #1,897
2000 73 #1,616
1995 31 #2,464
1990 44 #1,787
1985 22 #2,376
1980 27 #2,020
1975 15 #2,673
1970 13 #2,661
1965 12 #2,398
1960 10 #2,743
1955 13 #2,248
1950 21 #1,626
1945 14 #1,876
1940 14 #1,931
1935 18 #1,677
1930 11 #2,498
1925 22 #1,650
1920 17 #1,984
1915 13 #2,097
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 7 #1,081
1895 – –
1890 6 #926
1885 – –
1880 5 #957

Famous people named Esau

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Esau de' Buondelmonti Esau de' Buondelmonti Despot 1355–1411 · Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Esau, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Esau?

The median living Esau is about 24 years old. Half of all living Esaus are between 15 and 40 years old.

How many people named Esau are alive today?

An estimated 2,300 people named Esau are alive in the United States, based on 2,976 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Esau mean?

From Ancient Greek Ἡσαῦ (Hēsaû), from Biblical Hebrew עֵשָׂו (ʿēśāw).

How popular is the name Esau in 2025?

Esau ranked #3,205 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Esau?

2,976 babies have been named Esau in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Esau most popular?

Esau peaked in 2007, when 82 newborns received the name.

Is Esau a boy or girl name?

Esau is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Esau rising or falling?

Esau has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Esau become more popular?

Esau looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 39 boys named Esau in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Esau?

Well-known people named Esau include Esau de' Buondelmonti (politician).

Names like Esau

Names that sound and feel close to Esau: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Esau with similar names → More names starting with E →