Esmeralda means emerald — from the Spanish, the most precious green gemstone. Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame features Esmeralda as the beautiful Romani dancer. Disney animated her into one of their most vibrant heroines. Colombia produces the world's finest emeralds. Four syllables of Spanish gemstone beauty, Notre-Dame bells, and the most vivid green in any jeweller's window.
Spanish esmeralda (emerald, from Greek smaragdos)→name Esmeralda
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English / Greek / Portuguese / Spanish roots
Esmeralda comes from the Spanish meaning emerald. Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) features Esmeralda as a beautiful Romani dancer beloved by Quasimodo. Disney's 1996 animated film brought her to a new generation. Colombia produces approximately 70% of the world's finest emeralds.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831).
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Today
Esmeralda remains a beloved choice, ranking #379 in the US. 50,923 babies have been named Esmeralda since 1911.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
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How popular is Esmeralda?
1998peak year
Esmeralda has settled into a steady rhythm — neither rising sharply nor fading, holding a consistent place in U.S. birth records. It currently ranks around #379, with about 837 babies named Esmeralda each year. In 1998, 2,477 babies received the name (ranked #133). Total registrations across all years since 1880: roughly 50,923.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Esmeralda's Life Path 3 is the communicator's number — emerald-green communication. People named Esmeralda tend to be vivid, beautiful, and gifted at dancing through life with maximum colour.
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Dances with maximum colour
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Emerald-vivid
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Notre-Dame beauty
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Colombian-gem brilliance
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Romani-spirit freedom
E5
S1
M4
E5
R9
A1
L3
D4
A1
Sum: 33 → Life path 6
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Personality of Esmeralda
❤️
Nurturing heart
They notice when someone is struggling before anyone else.
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Creates warmth
Their circle is warmer for their presence.
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Strong morals
They know what's right and stand by it.
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Quietly selfless
They give and give, often without realising how much.
Every name has a homeland. Discover beautiful girl names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.