Esmé Explained

Esmé
Pronunciation:, or
Gender:male or female
Meaning:1. Old French: "beloved", "esteemed"
2. Short for Esméralda
Origin:Old French esmé (feminine esmée), "esteemed", past participle of esmer, "to esteem"
Related Names:Edmé, Esméralda, Ismi

Esmé (more commonly Esme) or Esmée is an English first name, from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, "to esteem", thus signifying "esteemed". Another theory is that esmer is an alternative spelling of today's aimer,[1] "to love", thus the name is aimé, meaning "beloved", equivalent to the modern feminine first name "Amy". Originally a masculine name, Esme had become a feminine name by the mid-twentieth century.[2]

The name was first popularised by Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox (1542–1583), a French nobleman of Scottish origins who returned to Scotland for part of his life. However with regard to spelling (and pronunciation), on one of his surviving letters, dated 1583, he signed himself "Amy".[3]

Esme was among the 100 most popular baby names for girls in the UK in 2015.[4]

Esme is also used as a short form for the Spanish feminine name Esmeralda, meaning "emerald".[2]

Notable bearers

Men

In order of birth:

Women

In order of birth:

Fictional characters

Notes and References

  1. John Orr, Words and Sounds: in English and French, 1953, p.114, quoted in https://books.google.com/books?id=IwwNAQAAIAAJ&dq=esmer+esteem&pg=PA235
  2. Web site: Esme: Baby Name of the Day. Sandel. Abby. Appellation Mountain. 22 October 2012 .
  3. G. E. Cokayne, The Complete Peerage, n.s., vol.7, p.604, note (a)
  4. Web site: The 100 Most Popular British Baby Names.
  5. Book: Williams, Pip . The Dictionary of Lost Words . 2020 . Ballantine Books . 978-0-593-16019-0 . 1st . New York.