Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1998

Essence

Meaning A female given name of African-American usage Gender Girl Rank 2025 #1,165 Trend ↑ Rising 43%

A female given name of African-American usage.

Rank 2025
#1,165
among girls · ↓80 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
205
named Essence · -12% vs 2024
How common
1 in 8,077
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1998
565 babies
All-time total
10,761
#1,589 all-time among girls
First recorded
1973
in Social Security records

Essence popularity over time

10,761 babies have been named Essence since 1973, 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
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s 182 – 182 18 – #1,982
1980s 816 – 816 82 +348% #1,221
1990s 3,531 – 3,531 353 +333% #457
2000s 3,095 – 3,095 310 -12% #583
2010s 1,852 – 1,852 185 -40% #1,016
2020s (to 2025) 1,268 17 1,285 214 +16% #1,013

Where Essence is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls Implied rank
2026 211 0.13 outside top 500
2027 222 0.14 outside top 500
2028 232 0.14 outside top 500
2029 241 0.15 outside top 500
2030 248 0.15 outside top 500

Where Essence is most popular

Girls named Essence per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.133 per 1,000. Strongest in Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Essence 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 Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Georgia 93 0.409 +207%
Louisiana 29 0.331 +148%
South Carolina 27 0.300 +125%
North Carolina 61 0.268 +101%
Michigan 41 0.225 +69%
Illinois 50 0.218 +64%
Florida 90 0.210 +58%
Arkansas 11 0.208 +56%
Indiana 26 0.185 +39%
Missouri 22 0.183 +37%
Tennessee 27 0.170 +28%
Alabama 14 0.149 +12%
Ohio 34 0.143 +7%
Virginia 24 0.141 +6%
Pennsylvania 31 0.131 ≈ national
Texas 102 0.127 -5%
New York 44 0.111 -17%
New Jersey 15 0.083 -38%
Wisconsin 7 0.068 -49%
Oklahoma 5 0.068 -49%
California 54 0.064 -52%
Minnesota 6 0.056 -58%
Maryland 5 0.047 -65%
Washington 6 0.042 -69%
Massachusetts 5 0.041 -69%
Alaska – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Essence

Essence is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,165 in 2025 with 199 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1973, 10,761 American babies have been named Essence. Its peak came in 1998, when 565 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 Essence stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Essence?

The median living Essence is about 23 years old; half are between 14 and 29. An estimated 11 thousand people named Essence are alive in the United States today.

median 23 020406080100

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

Essence 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 199 #1,165 6 #11,078
2024 228 #1,085 6 #11,342
2023 250 #1,013 – –
2022 256 #1,015 – –
2021 149 #1,444 5 #12,717
2020 186 #1,228 – –
2019 149 #1,479 – –
2018 155 #1,429 – –
2017 148 #1,498 – –
2016 136 #1,616 – –
2015 157 #1,465 – –
2014 189 #1,272 – –
2013 201 #1,195 – –
2012 225 #1,099 – –
2011 245 #1,019 – –
2010 247 #1,016 – –
2009 263 #1,006 – –
2008 274 #979 – –
2007 287 #944 – –
2006 320 #838 – –
2005 268 #928 – –
2004 308 #814 – –
2003 333 #750 – –
2002 273 #846 – –
2001 322 #741 – –
2000 447 #583 – –
1995 502 #490 – –
1990 138 #1,220 – –
1985 67 #1,715 – –
1980 47 #2,163 – –
1975 18 #3,674 – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Essence

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

  1. 1 Essence Atkins Essence Atkins American actress (born 1972) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Essence?

The median living Essence is about 23 years old. Half of all living Essences are between 14 and 29 years old.

How many people named Essence are alive today?

An estimated 11 thousand people named Essence are alive in the United States, based on 10,761 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Essence mean?

A female given name of African-American usage.

How popular is the name Essence in 2025?

Essence ranked #1,165 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 199 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Essence?

10,761 babies have been named Essence in the United States since 1973, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Essence most popular?

Essence peaked in 1998, when 565 newborns received the name.

Is Essence a boy or girl name?

Essence is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Essence rising or falling?

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

Will Essence become more popular?

Essence is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 248 girls named Essence in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Essence?

Well-known people named Essence include Essence Atkins (actor).

Names like Essence

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

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