Esmeralda
From Spanish esmeralda (“emerald”), as first used in the novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) by Victor Hugo.
Every Esmeralda since 1911 — 51,751 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Esmeralda
Esmeralda is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #373 in 2025 with 823 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1911, 51,751 American babies have been named Esmeralda. Its peak came in 1998, when 2,484 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
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 Esmeralda stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Esmeralda year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 823 | #373 | — | — |
| 2024 | 894 | #350 | — | — |
| 2023 | 907 | #342 | — | — |
| 2022 | 854 | #371 | — | — |
| 2021 | 696 | #450 | — | — |
| 2020 | 790 | #394 | — | — |
| 2019 | 825 | #379 | — | — |
| 2018 | 832 | #377 | — | — |
| 2017 | 821 | #378 | — | — |
| 2016 | 869 | #377 | — | — |
| 2015 | 883 | #370 | — | — |
| 2014 | 867 | #377 | — | — |
| 2013 | 786 | #393 | — | — |
| 2012 | 882 | #360 | — | — |
| 2011 | 946 | #334 | — | — |
| 2010 | 1,168 | #283 | — | — |
| 2009 | 1,113 | #299 | — | — |
| 2008 | 1,340 | #256 | — | — |
| 2007 | 1,745 | #191 | — | — |
| 2006 | 1,538 | #223 | — | — |
| 2005 | 1,618 | #214 | — | — |
| 2004 | 1,613 | #212 | 5 | #11,910 |
| 2003 | 1,652 | #202 | 8 | #8,076 |
| 2002 | 1,598 | #205 | — | — |
| 2001 | 1,621 | #201 | 5 | #11,103 |
| 2000 | 1,641 | #195 | 5 | #10,928 |
| 1995 | 657 | #400 | 6 | #8,124 |
| 1990 | 601 | #423 | 9 | #5,516 |
| 1985 | 418 | #488 | 6 | #6,023 |
| 1980 | 520 | #420 | 7 | #5,110 |
| 1975 | 440 | #448 | 6 | #5,003 |
| 1970 | 221 | #704 | — | — |
| 1965 | 157 | #788 | — | — |
| 1960 | 168 | #791 | — | — |
| 1955 | 111 | #933 | — | — |
| 1950 | 67 | #1,126 | — | — |
| 1945 | 35 | #1,362 | — | — |
| 1940 | 10 | #2,801 | — | — |
| 1935 | 8 | #3,244 | — | — |
| 1930 | 17 | #2,044 | — | — |
| 1925 | 20 | #1,960 | — | — |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,114 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Esmeralda mean?
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?
Esmeralda ranked #373 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 823 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Esmeralda?
51,751 babies have been named Esmeralda in the United States since 1911, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Esmeralda most popular?
Esmeralda peaked in 1998, when 2,484 newborns received the name.
Is Esmeralda a boy or girl name?
Esmeralda is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Esmeralda rising or falling?
Esmeralda has been roughly stable over the past decade.