Esperanza
Spanish for 'hope', from the Latin sperare, 'to hope'. It names one of the three theological virtues and has long served as a given name in Catholic countries.
Esperanza in 2025
Esperanza was given to 188 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,305th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 17,635 babies born.
The history of Esperanza
Esperanza reached its highest point in 2000, when 499 babies were given the name, ranking 989th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 816th, in 1929.
Across the 123 years of records since 1903, 20,884 babies have been named Esperanza. Half of them were born before 1989, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Esperanza by decade
| Decade | Babies named Esperanza | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 45 | 1,930 |
| 1910s | 454 | 1,317 |
| 1920s | 1,710 | 816 |
| 1930s | 1,390 | 899 |
| 1940s | 1,602 | 971 |
| 1950s | 1,500 | 1,139 |
| 1960s | 1,232 | 1,469 |
| 1970s | 1,317 | 1,512 |
| 1980s | 1,312 | 1,523 |
| 1990s | 2,359 | 1,111 |
| 2000s | 3,819 | 989 |
| 2010s | 2,690 | 1,634 |
| 2020s | 1,454 | 1,766 |
Where Esperanza is heading
Esperanza has fallen 37% over the past decade, from 298 babies in 2015 to 188 in 2025.
Names like Esperanza
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Esperanza.