Editor’s note: This post was originally published on May 23, 2008. It was substantially revised and re-posted on October 22, 2012.
The bookshelf gave us this name, and the bookshelf could take her away, too.
Thanks to Natalie for suggesting today’s Baby Name of the Day: Esme.
Esme first surfaces as a masculine name in sixteenth century Scotland, derived from the Old French esmer – to respect or admire. The French and Scots had a close diplomatic relationship for centuries, from the 1200s into the sixteenth century, so French names aren’t foreign in Scotland.
The first notable bearer was a Scottish nobleman, an adviser to James IV. Though he lost his position in political turmoil, his descendants held the title Duke of Lennox for generations, and several were also called Esme. Other unusual names: Ludovic, Gabrielle– suggest that the family were daring namers in their day.
Strictly speaking, those early men were Esmé, with the diacritical mark. Women would have been Esmée – though I cannot find any.
The named remained masculine – and very rare – into the 1800s. The name wasn’t any more common in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but Esme definitely switched from masculine to feminine by mid-century.
In 1950 JD Salinger’s short story For Esmé With Love and Squalor appeared in The New Yorker. His Esmé was an orphan, a young woman of extraordinary poise beyond her years. The story remains among the most popular of Salinger’s works. A few years later, William Gaddis used the name for a character in his debut novel, The Recognitions.
While the name lost its accent, it is typically pronounced EZ may, though in our Zoe/Chloe/Penelope era, you might meet a few who prefer EZ mee.
Besides her French origins, Esme could be short for the elaborate Esmeralda, the Spanish word for emerald, and a departure in another literary direction.
Esme has been quietly catching on since the 1990s:
- Actor Anthony Edwards has an Esme, sister to Wallis and Poppy.
- Katey Sagal chose Esme Louise for her daughter.
- Michael J. Fox has three girls, including Esme Annabelle.
Esme caught on just as Emma and Emily were approaching their zenith. She seemed like a sophisticated literary pick, frills-free but still feminine, unexpected but not too out there. The numbers of baby Esmes were growing.
And then came Twilight. For all that Stephenie Meyer is sometimes credited with boosting names like Bella and Jacob, it really isn’t so. The names were already epidemic, chart-topping favorites. Meyer has an ear for names that we are likely to favor today, regardless of historic authenticity. Census records confirm that women were named Esme in the late 1800s, which tracks with vampire matriarch Esme Cullen’s story. But it isn’t a very likely choice.
Esme entered the US Top 1000 in 2010 at #921, a long-awaited arrival. But just as more parents were shortlisting Esme as an unusual possibility for a daughter, others were avoiding her, worried that they’d be asked if they chose the name from the vampire romance.
Still, 258 girls received in the name in 2011, ranking her #981 in the US. Esmee, Esmae, and Ezme are also in use.
Overall, Esme is a literary choice with a lovely meaning and great style. If you can overlook a few references to vampires, Esme remains a standout choice for a daughter.
My wife and I are going with Esmae for our little girl. We like the pronunciation “ES-May” and felt this took away any uncertainty. Thoughts?
My daughter is named Esme (with accent…pronounced Es-may). I don’t understand how people can pronounce it wrong! With accent…pronounced Es-may/Ez-may and without accent…pronounced Es-mee/Ez-mee. I always thought the accent was there to change the pronounciation from Es-mee/Ez-mee to Es-may/Ez-may! Though I have read today that Esme (with accent) is indeed the male version and the female version is spelt the same way but with an extra E. Is my daughters name spelt right? Should it be Esmee or Esme? With/without accent? xx
Katy, are you in the US? American English typically doesn’t acknowledge diacritical marks. As I understand it, some states do accommodate them, but most of the time, Esme is just Esme – no accents available. (This must craze parents who are choosing a name from their native, other-than-English language, only to have their child’s name appear to be misspelled on official paperwork. I know one parent who is constantly inserting accents over her son’s name.) Tildes, umlauts, and cedillas tend to be retained, but acute and grave accents, like in Esme or cafe, tend to be dropped. I drop them here myself, because I have to pull up an extra menu to insert them – not a world-ending step, but I type REALLY fast. And the menu? Isn’t fast.
Then there’s the diacritical-marks-as-confetti phenomenon – Raven-Symone has a few in her name that have no impact on pronunciation. Or think heavy metal umaluts … they’re added for visual style, not as pronunciation guides. Add in that many of us aren’t familiar with the impact of diacritical marks, and I feel reasonably comfortable not using them. (I suspect I’m pretty average – I know what the French/Spanish/German ones indicate, but anything less common, I’m guessing. Like the
My name is Esmeralda and the truth is that since I was a child I’ve always sort of hated my name. The thing is that it is so long and although I think that it sounds nice and the meaning is also nice, it is a very uncommon name in Spain (I’m Spanish, by the way). Over the years, I’ve got used to it. My friends and family called me Esme so that it’s shorter. It’s funny because since I’ve moved to England everybody seems to love my name, they say that is very beatiful and exotic and I haven’t found a single person who has trouble pronouncing Esme or Esmeralda. It is so nice to see that there are so many people that love my name because in Spain, what you mostly get is: “well, it’s a nice name, but it’s just too long and weird”.
I really like Esm
I adore Veronica Esme – great combo!
My wife is six months and we have disagreed about every girls name suggested by either of us. However, we have agreed on Esme (One E with the accent) and will be pronouncing it Es-may. Its such a nice simple name yet not that common which is what we were both after…….In the meantime, we have to hope that the baby is a girl!!!
Congratulations on your baby-on-the-way. Esme is a great name!
Our daughter is Esme (no accent and pronounced Es-mee). That’s the way it’s been pronounced in the north of England and Scotland for many a moon. She’s swift to correct anyone who poncifies it to the Esmay pronunciation.
Poncify – that is a fabulous word!
I am Esmeralda and I got several nicknames like Esme, Erald and Em =)
I really, really like the name Esm
I named my daughter Esme without the accent and we pronounce it EZ-mee – she was named after a British great-aunt and that is how her name was pronounced. I think it is a lovely name, but now with the popularity of the Twilight series people insist on pronouncing my daughter’s name Es-may.
Also pronouncing it wrong. Don’t expect people to follow your mispronunciation.
Not really, MrDifficult. Pronunciation is subject to changes over time and regional accents. Even the most classic names can sound slightly different in different parts of the English-speaking world. Some pronunciations change dramatically over the course of just a few decades. Nina used to sound like the number nine, with an -a ending; now Nina almost always rhymes with Gina and Tina. Phonetic transparency counts – I don’t think it is wise to spell your child’s name Jean and insist it sounds like Jane. But there’s room for interpretation – and deviation – with a relative rarity like Esme.
me too… its esme! 🙂 …. so glad u chose it 4 my daughter x
I am an Esme without the accent and people always pronounce my name wrong, well… wrong as far as i am concerned.
You see, my mum chose my name and she has always pronounced it Ezmee
so when i come across someone who pronounces it Ezmay i become a little confused, especially when they are adament that i am pronouncing it wrong 😐
I love my name! Deffinately prefere it pronounced Ezmee though!
You’re pronouncing it wrong.
MrDifficult, why do I think that you’re not here to be helpful?
annoys me when people pronounce my daughter as es may as well… esme! its so simple like. love the name… my daughter is now nine an she loves her name 🙂 an ‘means it is to love’ … which just defines my wee princess 🙂 … annoys me that some people don’t like the name… I can’t understand why as it is beautiful 🙂 xxx