Esmé
Say it: EZ-may/ˈɛzmeɪ/
GirlMeans esteemed4 letters2 syllables
#148
in Ireland (2025)
#76 with spellings combined
66
babies in 2025
#70
best rank (2020)
824
babies since 1975
Up 61
10-year rank change
Esmé through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 66 | #76 |
| 2024 | 47 | #102 |
| 2023 | 77 | #70 |
| 2022 | 79 | #71 |
| 2021 | 61 | #90 |
| 2020 | 76 | #70 |
| 2019 | 64 | #89 |
| 2018 | 57 | #107 |
| 2017 | 62 | #99 |
| 2016 | 54 | #110 |
| 2015 | 44 | #137 |
| 2014 | 25 | #213 |
| 2013 | 18 | #274 |
| 2012 | 21 | #244 |
| 2011 | 14 | #342 |
| 2010 | 12 | #396 |
| 2009 | 11 | #412 |
| 2008 | 7 | #548 |
| 2007 | 6 | #549 |
| 2006 | 6 | #503 |
| 2005 | 4 | #588 |
| 2002 | 4 | #512 |
| 1995 | 3 | #516 |
| 1993 | 3 | #516 |
| 1975 | 3 | #503 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Esmé mean?
Esteemed
Probably from Old French esmé (esteemed), first used as a man's name in Scotland.
Say it right
EZmay
Some people say EZ-mee, especially for the spelling without the accent.
Not:EZ-meeESS-may
The story of Esmé
Esmé is usually traced to the Old French esmé, “esteemed”, from the verb esmer, to value. It is first recorded as a man’s name in sixteenth-century Scotland. By the middle of the twentieth century it had become a girl’s name. Esme is sometimes also used as a short form of Esmeralda.
In Ireland the name was very rare until the 2010s, when it took off quickly. The most babies came in 2022, with 79 girls, and its best combined rank was number 70 in 2020.
The CSO counts Esme and Esmé as separate names, and parents split fairly evenly between them: in 2025 there were 35 girls called Esme and 31 called Esmé. Taken together they came to number 76 in 2025, but Esmé on its own was only number 148.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Esmé (English proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Esme (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Esmé
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Esme | 35 | 548 |
| Esmé | 31 | 276 |
In Northern Ireland
#65 in 2025 with 31 babies. Best rank #57 (2024); 304 babies since 2003.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.