Unisex name · since 1914

Esper

Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 40 babies named Esper, peaking in 1916. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#23,690 of 45,481
all-time among boys
40
born since 1914
1910s
peak decade

Esper is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 40 have been recorded since 1914.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Esper has been recorded 40 times among boys since 1914, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2019.

  • #23,690 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 40 born since 1914
  • 1910s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Esper ranks #23,690 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 40 born since 1914, peaking in the 1910s.

#23,690 of 45,481
all-time among boys
40
born since 1914
1910s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Esper's 40 recorded births place it above 47.64% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Esper's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Esper splits its recorded history at 1921: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1918 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1916 peak of 9 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Esper popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2019

Last recorded 2019
Peak year (1916)
9
Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
45678910 191419161918192119262019 7

Esper popularity over time - girls

26 total births recorded since 1912 (Esper as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 26 births
4681012 1912201720242025 10

Esper by decade

1910s is the heaviest window (20 births, 50% of the file).

1910s was Esper's strongest decade.

20 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.

Esper births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1910s at 20 births (50% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Esper? ▼
40 babies have been named Esper since 1914. All-time, it sits at #23,690 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2019. The peak year was 1916 with 9 births.
Where does Esper sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Esper ranks #23,690 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Esper most popular? ▼
Esper was most popular in the 1910s decade with 20 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Is Esper a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Esper is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 40 births, and as a girl's name it has 26 births.
How long has the name Esper been used? ▼
Records for Esper go back to 1914, giving 106 years of history through 2019.
What names are similar to Esper? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Espen, Espn, Espiridion, Esperanza, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Esper's data

  • Esper's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (20 total births) through the 2010s (7) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Esper

Nearby Names Like Esper

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Esper

Espen Boy
#3909 715 births
Espn Boy
173 births
Espiridion Boy
169 births
Esperanza Boy
35 births
Espy Boy
19 births

Compare Esper side by side: Esper vs Espen Esper vs Espn Esper vs Espiridion

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Gobel
40 births · Peak 1933
Broward
40 births · Peak 1915
Gladwin
40 births · Peak 1915
Worden
40 births · Peak 1925
Elburn
40 births · Peak 1918
Santa
40 births · Peak 1926
Clate
40 births · Peak 1915
Amie
40 births · Peak 1979

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Esper: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 1914–2019 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Esper 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 August 2026.