Essa
Boy name · #2589 in 2025 · Very rare
Essa is currently the #2589 boy name in the United States — 51 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3365, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 35,294 boys born in 2025 was named Essa.
Babies named Essa per year. Source: SSA.
The 47-year story
Essa first appears in the Social Security records in 1978, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 57 babies and a rank of #2438. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Essa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Essa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Essa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Essa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Essa is most common
State-level data for Essa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Essa
Statistically, parents drawn to Essa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Issa, Esa, Eesa, Moussa, and Mousa.
IssaEsaEesaMoussaMousaEliabSoraLipa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Essa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | #2572 |
| 2024 | 39 | #3104 |
| 2023 | 48 | #2693 |
| 2022 | 57 | #2438 |
| 2021 | 35 | #3297 |
| 2020 | 34 | #3274 |
| 2019 | 54 | #2464 |
| 2018 | 35 | #3240 |
| 2017 | 45 | #2715 |
| 2016 | 35 | #3230 |
| 2015 | 33 | #3365 |
| 2014 | 21 | #4538 |
| 2013 | 24 | #4064 |
| 2012 | 21 | #4533 |
| 2011 | 22 | #4356 |
| 2010 | 15 | #5741 |
| 2009 | 23 | #4278 |
| 2008 | 15 | #5767 |
| 2007 | 6 | #10921 |
| 2006 | 8 | #8732 |
| 2005 | 8 | #8299 |
| 2004 | 15 | #5246 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6258 |
| 2002 | 11 | #6088 |
| 2001 | 9 | #6935 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Essa a popular boy name?
Essa ranked #2589 among boys in 2025 with 51 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3365.
When was the name Essa most popular?
Essa peaked in 2022, when 57 American boys received the name (ranked #2438 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Essa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 35,294 newborn American boys was named Essa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.