Esperanza
Girl name · #1207 in 2025 · Uniqueness 73/100
Esperanza is currently the #1207 girl name in the United States — 188 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #921, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,574 girls born in 2025 was named Esperanza.
Babies named Esperanza per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 122-year story
Esperanza first appears in the Social Security records in 1903, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2000, when 499 girls were named Esperanza — good for #528 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Esperanza against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Esperanza in class?
Esperanza scores 73 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Esperanza will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Esperanza is most common
Geography matters for names, and Esperanza is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Esperanzas were CA (43), TX (29), AZ (15), CO (8), FL (8). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Esperanza
Statistically, parents drawn to Esperanza tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Elysia, Katerina, Estefania, Evangelina, and Esmeralda.
ElysiaKaterinaEstefaniaEvangelinaEsmeraldaMagdalenaElisabethGiovanna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Esperanza | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 188 | #1207 |
| 2024 | 252 | #1013 |
| 2023 | 258 | #989 |
| 2022 | 262 | #997 |
| 2021 | 224 | #1103 |
| 2020 | 270 | #947 |
| 2019 | 272 | #965 |
| 2018 | 265 | #990 |
| 2017 | 277 | #952 |
| 2016 | 264 | #999 |
| 2015 | 298 | #921 |
| 2014 | 258 | #1011 |
| 2013 | 249 | #1003 |
| 2012 | 240 | #1050 |
| 2011 | 296 | #884 |
| 2010 | 271 | #948 |
| 2009 | 278 | #961 |
| 2008 | 277 | #968 |
| 2007 | 351 | #819 |
| 2006 | 422 | #676 |
| 2005 | 363 | #741 |
| 2004 | 350 | #749 |
| 2003 | 396 | #668 |
| 2002 | 423 | #605 |
| 2001 | 455 | #567 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Esperanza a popular girl name?
Esperanza ranked #1207 among girls in 2025 with 188 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #921.
When was the name Esperanza most popular?
Esperanza peaked in 2000, when 499 American girls received the name (ranked #528 that year). Since 2000 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Esperanza?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,574 newborn American girls was named Esperanza. It scores 73/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
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.