Total births
20,849
Girls' name · since 1903
Esperanza
Since 1903, U.S. Social Security records show 20,849 babies named Esperanza, peaking in 2000. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1013
- among girls today
- 20,849
- born since 1903
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Esperanza is the #1013 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 20,849 recorded since 1903.
Esperanza has 20,849 recorded births among girls since 1903, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1013 as of the latest data, more common than 94% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1903 to 2025.
- #1013 among girls today
- 20,849 born since 1903
- 2000s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Esperanza is currently the #1013 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 20,849 born since 1903, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1013
- among girls today
- 20,849
- born since 1903
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Esperanza vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1013
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Esperanza was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
499 babies were named Esperanza in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Esperanza compares
20,849 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Esperanza's all-time total is 55x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Esperanza | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,849 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 499 | 48 | 19,840 |
Esperanza's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Esperanza splits its recorded history at 1965: 65% of all births land in the more recent half, 35% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1906 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 499 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Esperanza at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2000
Current rank
#1,013
Active since
1903
Esperanza popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1903–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 499
- Annual births at peak, across 123 years of records
Esperanza popularity over time - boys
35 total births recorded since 1923 (Esperanza as boys' name)
Esperanza by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Esperanza's strongest decade.
3,814 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Esperanza births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 45
1900s
45 births
- 1910s 454
1910s
454 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,695 births
- 1930s 1,385
1930s
1,385 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,602 births
- 1950s 1,500
1950s
1,500 births
- 1960s 1,232
1960s
1,232 births
- 1970s 1,317
1970s
1,317 births
- 1980s 1,302
1980s
1,302 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,359 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,814 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,690 births
- 2020s 1,454
2020s
1,454 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 3,814 births (18% of all-time use).
How Esperanza 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 Esperanza's total volume
Esperanza vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Esperanza by state
Where Esperanza concentrates geographically, total births since 1903
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 6,797 | 32.6% |
| #2 | California | | 5,502 | 26.4% |
| #3 | Arizona | | 1,115 | 5.3% |
| #4 | New Mexico | | 847 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 595 | 2.9% |
| #6 | Colorado | | 436 | 2.1% |
| #7 | New York | | 431 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 371 | 1.8% |
Texas share of Esperanza's total US births 32.6%
Even split
6,797 of 20,849 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Esperanza appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Esperanza? ▼
Esperanza has been given to 20,849 babies in the U.S. since 1903, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1013 as of the latest data. 499 babies were born in 2000, its single highest year.
When was Esperanza most popular? ▼
Esperanza was most popular in the 2000s decade with 3,814 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Esperanza most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Esperanza are Texas (6,797 births), California (5,502 births), Arizona (1,115 births).
How long has the name Esperanza been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Esperanza since 1903 -- 123 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Esperanza? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Esperansa, Espen, Espyn, Esparanza, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Esperanza's data
- Esperanza's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (3,814 total births) through the 2020s (1,454) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Esperanzas (6,797 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Esperanza
Nearby Names Like Esperanza
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Esperanza
Esperansa Girl
503 births
Espen Girl
#13160 148 births
Espyn Girl
#8879 147 births
Esparanza Girl
72 births
Espn Girl
55 births
Compare Esperanza side by side: Esperanza vs Esperansa Esperanza vs Espen Esperanza vs Espyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Esperanza
Betty #1012
1,001,238 births · Peak 1930
Nori #1014
3,028 births · Peak 2023
Melani #1011
5,912 births · Peak 2020
Kenia #1015
10,216 births · Peak 2016
Savanna #1010
32,974 births · Peak 2006
Baylee #1016
21,741 births · Peak 1997
Carla #1009
150,390 births · Peak 1962
Brylee #1017
11,164 births · Peak 2011
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, 1903–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Esperanza: #1013 Girls' Name - 20,849 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/esperanza. 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 Esperanza 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.