Girl · #1163 in 2025

Essence

Essence: popularity and trends since 1880

Popularity, 1880–2025

per 100,000 girls born

Essence per 100,000 girls born, by year. Peak: 1998. Gaps are years with fewer than five births, which SSA does not publish. Source: SSA, 1880–2025.

Essence has been rising: its share of girls born has grown over the last 10 years. It now stands at 39% of its 1998 peak.

Names of the other sex that are about as common right now, so two siblings' names do not sound a generation apart.