Essence

#1,163 for girls in 2025, 199 births · #10,695 for boys in 2025, 6 births
Given to girls 99.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1998 · 565 births
Debut · girls
8 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
10,744
since 1973

Essence over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Essence has never cracked the top 400 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201992peak #456, 1998girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,163199#10,6956
2024#1,085228#10,9386
2023#1,012250—
2022#1,015256—
2021#1,441149#12,1465
2020#1,227186—
2019#1,474149—
2018#1,425155—
2017#1,495148—
2016#1,614136—
2015#1,464157—
2014#1,270189—
2013#1,192201—
2012#1,096225—
2011#1,019245—
2010#1,015247—
2009#1,006263—
2008#977274—
2007#944287—
2006#838320—
2005#928268—
2004#813308—
2003#749333—
2002#846273—
2001#741322—
2000#583447—
1999#491529—
1998#456565—
1997#542440—
1996#542431—
1995#490502—
1994#775262—
1993#817245—
1992#876226—
1991#973193—
1990#1,219138—
1989#1,383109—
1988#1,384102—
1987#1,40495—
1986#1,40591—
1985#1,71067—
1984#1,44680—
1983#1,220104—
1982#1,60872—
1981#2,08549—
1980#2,15447—
1979#1,97752—
1978#2,35038—
1977#3,08325—
1976#3,09523—
1975#3,63718—
1974#3,55818—
1973#6,0808—
1972——
1971——
1970——
1969——
1968——
1967——
1966——
1965——
1964——
1963——
1962——
1961——
1960——
1959——
1958——
1957——
1956——
1955——
1954——
1953——
1952——
1951——
1950——
1949——
1948——
1947——
1946——
1945——
1944——
1943——
1942——
1941——
1940——
1939——
1938——
1937——
1936——
1935——
1934——
1933——
1932——
1931——
1930——
1929——
1928——
1927——
1926——
1925——
1924——
1923——
1922——
1921——
1920——
1919——
1918——
1917——
1916——
1915——
1914——
1913——
1912——
1911——
1910——
1909——
1908——
1907——
1906——
1905——
1904——
1903——
1902——
1901——
1900——
1899——
1898——
1897——
1896——
1895——
1894——
1893——
1892——
1891——
1890——
1889——
1888——
1887——
1886——
1885——
1884——
1883——
1882——
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1973

The first year at least five girls were named Essence! It came in at #6,080, and was given to 8 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1973, when fewer than 9 girls a year got the name.

Where Essence is popular in 1992

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedMNIllinois: #724 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 5,791 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedWIMichigan: #524 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 4,076 girlsMINew York: #538 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 3,745 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedINOhio: #778 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 7,549 girlsOHPennsylvania: #549 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 4,564 girlsPANew Jersey: #405 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 2,846 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #1,275 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 12,840 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedNEMissouri: #502 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,865 girlsMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedWVVirginia: #549 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,055 girlsVAMaryland: #623 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,478 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedNMKansas: #411 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,667 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedARTennessee: #626 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,958 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #525 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,983 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #486 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,148 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedLAMississippi: #399 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,147 girlsMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedALGeorgia: #618 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,588 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedHITexas: #1,230 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 11,465 girlsTXFlorida: #1,258 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 12,513 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Mississippi#399 · 1 in 2,147
  2. New Jersey#405 · 1 in 2,846
  3. Kansas#411 · 1 in 2,667
  4. South Carolina#486 · 1 in 3,148
  5. Missouri#502 · 1 in 3,865

Best ever in a state: #146 in South Carolina, 1995.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#39961 in 2,147
New Jersey#405161 in 2,846
Kansas#41151 in 2,667
South Carolina#48661 in 3,148
Missouri#50281 in 3,865
Michigan#524141 in 4,076
North Carolina#525101 in 3,983
New York#538311 in 3,745
Pennsylvania#549151 in 4,564
Virginia#54991 in 4,055
Georgia#61891 in 4,588
Maryland#62361 in 4,478
Tennessee#62661 in 4,958
Illinois#724131 in 5,791
Ohio#77891 in 7,549
Texas#1,230121 in 11,465
Florida#1,25861 in 12,513
California#1,275201 in 12,840
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kentucky———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Essence
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 78 spots since 2024 (#1,085 → #1,163)
  • 64 spots since 2020 (#1,227 → #1,163)
  • 301 spots since 2015 (#1,464 → #1,163)
  • Biggest jump: 285 spots in 1995 (#775 → #490)
  • Biggest drop: 158 spots in 2001 (#583 → #741)
Rise & fade · girls
25 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1973
  • Peaked 1998 at #456 (565 births)
  • Births halved by 2002, 4 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 18 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 18 yrs · run 1991–2008
Share of babies · girls
1 in 3,127
  • Highest: 1 in 3,127 girls born in 1998 were named Essence (0.03%)
  • Latest: 1 in 8,077 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1990s
  • 32.9% of all girls named Essence (3,531) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1970s182#1,977 (1979)#3,397
1980s816#1,220 (1983)#1,580
1990s3,531#456 (1998)#718
2000s3,095#583 (2000)#843
2010s1,852#1,015 (2010)#1,306
2020s1,268#1,012 (2023)#1,157

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Essence in 1992

girls
#876
226 births · 1 in 8,159 girls

Top girls' names in 1992

  1. #1Ashley38,460
  2. #2Jessica38,361
  3. #3Amanda25,039
  4. #4Brittany24,983
  5. #5Sarah24,634
  6. #6Samantha24,407
  7. #7Emily21,835
  8. #8Stephanie19,680
  9. #9Elizabeth19,035
  10. #10Megan17,842
  11. #876Essence226
More about 1992

girls

1,843,931 girls got a published name in 1992; 1 in 8,159 of them was named Essence, which outranked 94.4% of the 15,610 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 13.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Essence
  1. #865Symone228
  2. #874Lora227
  3. #874Marquita227
  4. #876Essence226
  5. #876Brea226
  6. #878Britni225
  7. #878Cassondra225
  8. #878Chelsy225

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1991
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,282Darian#2,989 → #707
  2. ↑ 1,958Payton#2,660 → #702
  3. ↑ 1,450Peyton#2,034 → #584
  4. ↑ 1,115Chandler#1,656 → #541
  5. ↑ 1,080Brianda#1,857 → #777
Fallers
  1. ↓ 855Rebeccah#1,000 → #1,855
  2. ↓ 725Ieshia#717 → #1,442
  3. ↓ 502Miesha#997 → #1,499
  4. ↓ 470Unknown#794 → #1,264
  5. ↓ 356Phylicia#928 → #1,284

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1992 →