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.
- #8,573 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,712 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 435
- born since 1882
- 2020s
- peak decade
Yes -- Essex is the #4712 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 #4712 as of the latest data, more common than 66% 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.
- #8,573 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,712 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 435 born since 1882
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Essex ranks #8,573 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,712 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 435 born since 1882, peaking in the 2020s.
- #8,573 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,712 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 435
- born since 1882
- 2020s
- peak decade
Essex's 435 recorded births place it above 81.13% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by New Jersey.
How Essex compares
435 Top 47% higher than 53% of 13,930 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 18% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Essex | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 435 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 21 | 34 | 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 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
2020s is the heaviest window (77 births, 18% of the file).
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% |
5 of 435 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Essex? ▼
Where does Essex sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Essex most popular? ▼
Where is Essex most popular? ▼
How long has the name Essex been used? ▼
What names are similar to Essex? ▼
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
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
Compare Essex side by side: Essex vs Essie Essex vs Essa Essex vs Essiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Essex
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Essex: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~143 yrs)
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, 1882–2025 (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 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 August 2026.