Total births
760
Unisex name · since 1978
Essa
760 babies named Essa in U.S. Social Security records since 1978, with the highest year being 2022. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3124
- among boys today
- 760
- born since 1978
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
760 babies have been named Essa since 1978, making it today's #3124 unisex name.
Essa has 760 recorded births among boys since 1978, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3124 as of the latest data, more common than 78% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1978 to 2025.
- #3124 among boys today
- 760 born since 1978
- 2010s peak decade
- 78% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Essa is currently the #3124 unisex name in America, more common than 78% of boys - 760 born since 1978, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3124
- among boys today
- 760
- born since 1978
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
Essa vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3124
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 78% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Essa was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
57 babies were named Essa in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Essa compares
760 Top 35% higher than 65% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Essa's all-time total is 107% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Essa | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 760 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 57 | 23 | 22,252 |
Essa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Essa's full recorded timeline at 2008, 80% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 20% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1983, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 57 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Essa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2022
Current rank
#3,124
Active since
1978
Essa popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1978–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 57
- Annual births at peak, across 48 years of records
Essa popularity over time - girls
226 total births recorded since 1885 (Essa as girls' name)
Essa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Essa's strongest decade.
305 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Essa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 14
1980s
14 births
- 1990s 57
1990s
57 births
- 2000s 114
2000s
114 births
- 2010s
2010s
305 births
- 2020s
2020s
264 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 305 births (40% of all-time use).
How Essa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Essa's total volume
Essa vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Essa by state
Where Essa concentrates geographically, total births since 1978
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 87 | 11.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 42 | 5.5% |
| #3 | California | | 39 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 30 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 12 | 1.6% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 12 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.7% |
New York share of Essa's total US births 11.4%
Even split
87 of 760 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Essa? ▼
Since 1978, Social Security records show 760 babies named Essa. Today it holds rank #3124 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2022, with 57 births.
When was Essa most popular? ▼
Essa was most popular in the 2010s decade with 305 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Essa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Essa are New York (87 births), Texas (42 births), California (39 births).
Is Essa a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Essa is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 760 births, and as a girl's name it has 226 births.
How long has the name Essa been used? ▼
Essa has been recorded in Social Security data since 1978, spanning 48 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Essa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Essie, Essex, Essiah, Essam, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Essa's data
- Essa's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (305 total births) through the 2020s (264) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Essas (87 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Essa
Nearby Names Like Essa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Essa
Essie Boy
1,212 births
Essex Boy
#5456 435 births
Essiah Boy
#4415 171 births
Essam Boy
#6635 148 births
Essien Boy
58 births
Compare Essa side by side: Essa vs Essie Essa vs Essex Essa vs Essiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Essa
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, 1978–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Essa: #3124 Unisex Name - 760 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/essa. 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 Essa 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.