Esmeralda
Girl name · #373 in 2025 · Distinctive
Esmeralda ranks #373 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 823 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #370, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,187 girls born in 2025 was named Esmeralda.
The 114-year story
Esmeralda first appears in the Social Security records in 1911, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1998, when 2,477 girls were named Esmeralda — good for #133 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Esmeralda per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Esmeralda against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Esmeralda in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Esmeralda is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Esmeralda is most common
Geography matters for names, and Esmeralda is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Esmeralda is most common in NV (2.2 per 1,000), AZ (1.3 per 1,000), CA (1.2 per 1,000), CO (0.9 per 1,000), IL (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Esmeralda is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Esmeralda
Statistically, parents drawn to Esmeralda tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carolina, Esperanza, Gabriela, Serena, and Mckenna.
CarolinaEsperanzaGabrielaSerenaMckennaAdrianaJuliannaMadeleine
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Esmeralda | 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 | #333 |
| 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 |
| 2003 | 1,652 | #202 |
| 2002 | 1,598 | #205 |
| 2001 | 1,621 | #201 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Esmeralda a popular girl name?
Esmeralda ranked #373 among girls in 2025 with 823 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #370.
When was the name Esmeralda most popular?
Esmeralda peaked in 1998, when 2,477 American girls received the name (ranked #133 that year). Since 1998 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Esmeralda?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,187 newborn American girls was named Esmeralda. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.