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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202005peak #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—
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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 2005

  • 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: #787 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 4,797 girlsILWisconsin: #690 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,175 girlsWIMichigan: #871 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 5,920 girlsMINew York: #630 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 3,657 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: #733 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,644 girlsINOhio: #789 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 5,728 girlsOHPennsylvania: #771 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 5,486 girlsPANew Jersey: #635 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,690 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #1,531 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 13,554 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedUTColorado: #756 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,121 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedNEMissouri: #900 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,802 girlsMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedWVVirginia: #778 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,638 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedMDDelaware: 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: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedARTennessee: #964 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,215 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #601 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 3,243 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #363 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,586 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #247 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,094 girlsLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedMSAlabama: #717 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,947 girlsALGeorgia: #642 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,426 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Essence, so not publishedHITexas: #1,037 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 6,983 girlsTXFlorida: #1,395 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 10,713 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Louisiana#247 · 1 in 1,094
  2. South Carolina#363 · 1 in 1,586
  3. North Carolina#601 · 1 in 3,243
  4. New York#630 · 1 in 3,657
  5. New Jersey#635 · 1 in 3,690

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Louisiana#247181 in 1,094
South Carolina#363111 in 1,586
North Carolina#601141 in 3,243
New York#630261 in 3,657
New Jersey#635111 in 3,690
Georgia#642151 in 3,426
Wisconsin#69061 in 4,175
Alabama#71751 in 3,947
Indiana#73371 in 4,644
Colorado#75661 in 4,121
Pennsylvania#771101 in 5,486
Virginia#77881 in 4,638
Illinois#787141 in 4,797
Ohio#789101 in 5,728
Michigan#87181 in 5,920
Missouri#90051 in 5,802
Tennessee#96451 in 6,215
Texas#1,037231 in 6,983
Florida#1,39581 in 10,713
California#1,531171 in 13,554
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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 2005

girls
#928
268 births · 1 in 6,895 girls

Top girls' names in 2005

  1. #1Emily23,952
  2. #2Emma20,362
  3. #3Madison19,578
  4. #4Abigail15,756
  5. #5Olivia15,700
  6. #6Isabella15,197
  7. #7Hannah14,854
  8. #8Samantha13,642
  9. #9Ava13,606
  10. #10Ashley13,276
  11. #928Essence268
More about 2005

girls

1,847,842 girls got a published name in 2005; 1 in 6,895 of them was named Essence, which outranked 95.2% of the 19,199 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 9.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Essence
  1. #925Angeline269
  2. #925Candace269
  3. #925Estefania269
  4. #928Essence268
  5. #928Maleah268
  6. #928Unique268
  7. #931Jalynn267
  8. #932Livia266
  9. #932Maren266

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

Biggest movers since 2004
Risers
  1. ↑ 6,271Mikalah#7,077 → #806
  2. ↑ 2,724Yuridia#3,689 → #965
  3. ↑ 2,236Naima#3,127 → #891
  4. ↑ 1,924Karol#2,742 → #818
  5. ↑ 1,125Karma#1,972 → #847
Fallers
  1. ↓ 397Rhea#908 → #1,305
  2. ↓ 360Laisha#789 → #1,149
  3. ↓ 334Ashtyn#956 → #1,290
  4. ↓ 285Hunter#742 → #1,027
  5. ↓ 282Angeles#973 → #1,255

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

See the top 100 for 2005 →