girl's name
Esmae
EZ-may
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 7,969
England and Wales
#162
2025 births
Esmae is a girl's name of Old French origin meaning "esteemed" or "beloved." It is a modern British respelling of Esme, which comes from esmé, the past participle of the verb esmer, to esteem.
- Esmae is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2017, when 502 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 1,722 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1997.
Esmae over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 18 |
| 2000s | 130 |
| 2010s | 3,512 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,372 |
What Esmae means
Esmae means esteemed or valued. It is a past participle — one who has been esteemed — rather than an adjective, so the name describes how the bearer is regarded rather than what she is.
Where Esmae comes from
Esmae respells Esme, from the Old French esmé, past participle of esmer, to esteem or value, from the Latin aestimare. The name arrived in Britain with Esmé Stewart, a French-born cousin of James VI made Duke of Lennox in 1581 — and it was male in that first use, only later becoming female. The -ae ending is a recent British respelling with no historical basis, part of the same pattern that produced Maisie from Maisy and Elsie from Elsy. Any association with Esmeralda, Spanish for emerald, is a coincidence of sound.
Esmae in use
Our data first records Esmae only in 2008, making it one of the newest entries on this site, and it peaked in 2017. Esme, the original spelling, sits at 45 in England and Wales — so the respelling ranks about 117 places below its source, and the two together are considerably more used than either shows.
How popular is Esmae?
In 2025, Esmae was given to 306 babies in England and Wales, ranking #162 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Esmae is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Esmae
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Esmae also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Esmae over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Esmae in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Esmée
Sibling names for Esmae
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Esmae — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Esmae
What does the name Esmae mean?
Esmae means "esteemed" or "beloved," from the Old French esmé.
What is the difference between Esmae and Esme?
Only spelling. Esme is the original; the -ae ending is a recent British respelling with no historical basis.
Was Esme originally a boy's name?
Yes. Its first British bearer was Esmé Stewart, Duke of Lennox, in 1581.
How popular is the name Esmae?
In 2025, Esmae was given to 306 babies in England and Wales, ranking #162 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Esmae a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Esmae currently ranks #162 in England and Wales. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.