Essa: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,581

among boys · ↑546 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Essa · +33% vs 2024

How common

1 in 33,492

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2022

71 babies

All-time total

986

#6,091 all-time among boys

First recorded

1885

in Social Security records

Essa popularity over time

986 babies have been named Essa since 1885, 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

BoysGirls

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	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	11	–	11	1	–	–
1890s	12	–	12	1	+9%	–
1900s	5	–	5	1	-58%	–
1910s	21	–	21	2	+320%	–
1920s	38	–	38	4	+81%	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	5	–	5	1	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	6	6	1	–	#5,289
1980s	–	14	14	1	+133%	#5,308
1990s	–	57	57	6	+307%	#5,118
2000s	5	114	119	12	+109%	#4,330
2010s	59	305	364	36	+206%	#2,469
2020s (to 2025)	70	264	334	56	+53%	#2,449

Where Essa 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	53	0.03	outside top 500
2027	54	0.03	outside top 500
2028	55	0.03	outside top 500
2029	57	0.03	outside top 500
2030	57	0.03	outside top 500

Where Essa is most popular

Boys named Essa per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.027 per 1,000. Strongest in Michigan, New York, and Virginia.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Essa born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Michigan	15	0.073	+175%
New York	28	0.065	+143%
Virginia	12	0.063	+137%
Illinois	12	0.047	+76%
California	23	0.025	-6%
Texas	20	0.023	-15%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Florida	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Essa

Essa is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,581 in 2025 with 51 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1885, 986 American babies have been named Essa, about 77% boys and 23% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2022, when 71 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Essa stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Essa?

The median living Essa is about 8 years old; half are between 3 and 14. An estimated 900 people named Essa are alive in the United States today.

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

Essa 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	10	#9,656	51	#2,581
2024	7	#12,579	39	#3,127
2023	15	#7,372	48	#2,708
2022	14	#7,757	57	#2,449
2021	13	#8,172	35	#3,321
2020	11	#9,142	34	#3,293
2019	10	#9,972	54	#2,469
2018	12	#8,788	35	#3,262
2017	15	#7,575	45	#2,726
2016	–	–	35	#3,247
2015	7	#13,444	33	#3,388
2014	–	–	21	#4,591
2013	5	#17,390	24	#4,095
2012	10	#10,671	21	#4,586
2011	–	–	22	#4,406
2010	–	–	15	#5,822
2009	–	–	23	#4,330
2008	5	#18,389	15	#5,860
2007	–	–	6	#11,372
2006	–	–	8	#8,966
2005	–	–	8	#8,528
2004	–	–	15	#5,332
2003	–	–	11	#6,390
2002	–	–	11	#6,217
2001	–	–	9	#7,092
2000	–	–	8	#7,670
1995	–	–	–	–
1990	–	–	10	#5,118
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	–	–
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	7	#4,150	–	–
1920	5	#5,224	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	5	#2,024	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	6	#962	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Essa?

The median living Essa is about 8 years old. Half of all living Essas are between 3 and 14 years old.

How many people named Essa are alive today?

An estimated 900 people named Essa are alive in the United States, based on 986 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Essa in 2025?

Essa ranked #2,581 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 51 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Essa?

986 babies have been named Essa in the United States since 1885, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Essa most popular?

Essa peaked in 2022, when 71 newborns received the name.

Is Essa a boy or girl name?

Essa is used for both: about 23% of babies named Essa have been girls and 77% boys.

Is the name Essa rising or falling?

Essa is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Essa become more popular?

Essa is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 57 boys named Essa in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Essa

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

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