Total births
51,571
Girls' name · since 1911
Esmeralda
Since 1911, U.S. Social Security records show 51,571 babies named Esmeralda, peaking in 1998. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #350
- among girls today
- 51,571
- born since 1911
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Esmeralda is the #350 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 51,571 recorded since 1911.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Esmeralda has been recorded 51,571 times among girls since 1911, currently ranked #350 nationally and more common than 98% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1911 to 2025.
- #350 among girls today
- 51,571 born since 1911
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Esmeralda is currently the #350 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 51,571 born since 1911, peaking in the 2000s.
- #350
- among girls today
- 51,571
- born since 1911
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Esmeralda vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#350
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Esmeralda was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
2,477 babies were named Esmeralda in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Esmeralda compares
51,571 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Esmeralda's all-time total is 135x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Esmeralda | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 51,571 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,477 | 48 | 19,840 |
Esmeralda's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Esmeralda splits its recorded history at 1971: 93% of all births land in the more recent half, 7% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1911 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1998 peak of 2,477 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Esmeralda at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1998
Current rank
#350
Active since
1911
Esmeralda popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1911–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 2,477
- Annual births at peak, across 115 years of records
Esmeralda popularity over time - boys
180 total births recorded since 1973 (Esmeralda as boys' name)
Esmeralda by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Esmeralda's strongest decade.
15,479 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Esmeralda births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 28
1910s
28 births
- 1920s 97
1920s
97 births
- 1930s 112
1930s
112 births
- 1940s 336
1940s
336 births
- 1950s 1,092
1950s
1,092 births
- 1960s 1,615
1960s
1,615 births
- 1970s 3,898
1970s
3,898 births
- 1980s 4,783
1980s
4,783 births
- 1990s
1990s
10,288 births
- 2000s
2000s
15,479 births
- 2010s
2010s
8,879 births
- 2020s 4,964
2020s
4,964 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 15,479 births (30% of all-time use).
How Esmeralda compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Esmeralda's total volume
Esmeralda vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Esmeralda by state
Where Esmeralda concentrates geographically, total births since 1911
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 17,506 | 33.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12,927 | 25.1% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 2,802 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 1,943 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 1,724 | 3.3% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,443 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Washington | | 1,102 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 826 | 1.6% |
California share of Esmeralda's total US births 33.9%
Even split
17,506 of 51,571 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Esmeralda appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Esmeralda? ▼
51,571 babies have been named Esmeralda since 1911. It currently ranks #350 among girls. The peak year was 1998 with 2,477 births.
When was Esmeralda most popular? ▼
Esmeralda was most popular in the 2000s decade with 15,479 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Esmeralda most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Esmeralda are California (17,506 births), Texas (12,927 births), Illinois (2,802 births).
How long has the name Esmeralda been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Esmeralda since 1911 -- 115 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Esmeralda? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Esme, Esmae, Esma, Esmee, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Esmeralda's data
- Esmeralda's decade-level peak was the 2000s (15,479 total births); usage has since declined to 4,964 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Esmeraldas (17,506 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Esmeralda
Nearby Names Like Esmeralda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Esmeralda
Esme Girl
#343 10,920 births
Esmae Girl
#2009 1,527 births
Esma Girl
#3972 915 births
Esmee Girl
#3678 860 births
Esmerelda Girl
#4232 776 births
Compare Esmeralda side by side: Esmeralda vs Esme Esmeralda vs Esmae Esmeralda vs Esma
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Esmeralda
Thea #349
20,113 births · Peak 2018
Lauren #351
475,577 births · Peak 1989
Annabelle #348
67,543 births · Peak 2014
Julianna #352
52,285 births · Peak 2006
Julieta #347
11,689 births · Peak 2025
Taylor #353
330,145 births · Peak 1993
Aisha #346
26,933 births · Peak 1977
Wrenlee #354
3,007 births · Peak 2024
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1911–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Esmeralda: #350 Girls' Name - 51,571 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/esmeralda. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Esmeralda draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.