Total births
435
Boys' name · since 1882
Essex
Since 1882, U.S. Social Security records show 435 babies named Essex, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5456
- among boys today
- 435
- born since 1882
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Essex is the #5456 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 435 recorded since 1882.
Essex has 435 recorded births among boys since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5456 as of the latest data, more common than 62% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #5456 among boys today
- 435 born since 1882
- 2020s peak decade
- 62% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Essex is currently the #5456 boys' name in America, more common than 62% of boys - 435 born since 1882, peaking in the 2020s.
- #5456
- among boys today
- 435
- born since 1882
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
Essex vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5456
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 62% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Essex was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
21 babies were named Essex in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Essex compares
435 Top 46% higher than 54% 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
Essex's all-time total is 19% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Essex | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 435 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 21 | 23 | 22,252 |
Essex's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Essex's SSA record in two at 1947 and the more recent half accounts for 55% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 45%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2025 peak of 21, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Essex at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#5,456
Active since
1882
Essex popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 21
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Essex popularity over time - girls
8 total births recorded since 2023 (Essex as girls' name)
Essex by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Essex's strongest decade.
77 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Essex births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 15
1880s
15 births
- 1890s 18
1890s
18 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
34 births
- 1920s
1920s
57 births
- 1930s
1930s
35 births
- 1940s
1940s
49 births
- 1950s
1950s
40 births
- 1960s 13
1960s
13 births
- 1970s
1970s
34 births
- 1980s 8
1980s
8 births
- 2000s 22
2000s
22 births
- 2010s 28
2010s
28 births
- 2020s
2020s
77 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 77 births (18% of all-time use).
Essex by state
Where Essex concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Jersey | | 5 | 1.1% |
New Jersey share of Essex's total US births 1.1%
5 of 435 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Essex? ▼
435 babies have been named Essex since 1882. It currently ranks #5456 among boys. The peak year was 2025 with 21 births.
When was Essex most popular? ▼
Essex was most popular in the 2020s decade with 77 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Essex most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Essex are New Jersey (5 births).
How long has the name Essex been used? ▼
Records for Essex go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Essex? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Essie, Essa, Essiah, Essam, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Essex's data
- New Jersey records the most Essexs (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New Jersey 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 Essex
Nearby Names Like Essex
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Essex
Essie Boy
1,212 births
Essa Boy
#3124 760 births
Essiah Boy
#4415 171 births
Essam Boy
#6635 148 births
Essien Boy
58 births
Compare Essex side by side: Essex vs Essie Essex vs Essa Essex vs Essiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Essex
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Essex: #5456 Boys' Name - 435 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/essex. 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 Essex 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.