Girl, originally a boy's name in Scotland · Old French (from Latin) · International
Esme
EsmeSay it EZ-may
- Meaning today
- Esteemed, beloved
- Original meaning
- "esteemed, loved (Old French esmé, from esmer, Latin aestimare)" Lewis & Short, s.v. aestimo
- Say it
- EZ-may
- Other spellings
- Esmé, Esmee
Esme
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Esme meaning
Esme is an international girl's name of Old French origin (from Latin).
Esteemed, loved (Old French esmé, from esmer, Latin aestimare)
Also used to mean: beloved
Esme comes from Old French esmé, "esteemed", the past participle of the verb esmer, "to esteem". That verb goes back to Latin aestimare, which Lewis and Short's dictionary gives as to value or appraise and, figuratively, to weigh the true worth of something, the root of our words estimate and esteem. Esme first appears in sixteenth-century Scotland as a man's name, carried by Esmé Stewart, Duke of Lennox, a favourite of the young King James VI. It is now given almost only to girls, often written Esmé. Readers may know J. D. Salinger's story For Esmé, with Love and Squalor.
Source: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary (1879), s.v. aestimo · entry aestimo · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lewis & Short, aestimo (alatius.com) · Wikipedia, Esmé
Famous namesakes
- Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox
- Esmé, title character of J. D. Salinger's For Esmé, with Love and Squalor
Popularity abroad
- #298 United States, girls 2025 (up 45 from 343 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #45 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Esme · Esmé · Esmee