Esmeray
A Turkish feminine name meaning "a Turkish variant of the Persian name Ismat, meaning virtuous and chaste".
Name Census estimates that about 247 living Americans carry the first name Esmeray. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Esmeray today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Esmeray births was 2022 (73 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Esmeray. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Esmeray with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
247
~ 1 in 1,387,669 Americans
Peak year
2022
73 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,891
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Esmeray: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Esmeray from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 237 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Esmeray by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Esmeray during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Esmerays live
Origin
Meaning and history of Esmeray
The name Esmeray is a Turkish given name with roots in both Turkish and Persian cultures. Its origins can be traced back to the late medieval period, around the 15th century.
The name Esmeray is derived from the Persian words "esmer" meaning "dark" or "brunette", and "ay" meaning "moon". Thus, the name can be interpreted as "dark moon" or "brunette moon". In Turkish culture, the name is often associated with beauty, grace, and elegance, much like the alluring beauty of the moon on a dark night.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have gained popularity among the Ottoman Empire's aristocracy and upper classes during the 16th and 17th centuries. The name's poetic and romantic connotations likely appealed to the refined tastes of the era's elite.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Esmeray was Esmeray Sultan, an Ottoman princess born in the late 16th century. She was the daughter of Sultan Murad III and played a significant role in the Ottoman court's political intrigues.
Another notable figure with the name Esmeray was Esmeray Hanım, a celebrated Ottoman calligrapher who lived in the 18th century. Her intricate and beautiful calligraphic works earned her widespread acclaim and admiration across the Ottoman Empire.
In the 19th century, Esmeray Abla, a prominent Turkish feminist and writer, used her writings to advocate for women's rights and education. She was a pioneering figure in the early stages of the Turkish feminist movement.
Fast forward to the 20th century, Esmeray Küçük was a respected Turkish classical music vocalist who dedicated her life to preserving and promoting traditional Turkish music. She was born in 1920 and passed away in 2005, leaving behind a rich musical legacy.
Another notable figure with the name Esmeray was Esmeray Yılmaz, a Turkish writer and poet born in 1947. Her works explored themes of love, identity, and the human condition, earning her critical acclaim and numerous literary awards throughout her career.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Esmeray throughout history, each leaving their unique mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of Turkish and Persian cultural heritage.
People
Esmeray + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Esmeray as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Esmeray: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Esmeray?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 247 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Esmeray going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,387,669 US residents.
Is Esmeray a common name?
We classify Esmeray as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 248 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Esmeray most popular?
The single biggest year for Esmeray was 2022, when 73 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Esmeray is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Esmeray in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Esmeray a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Esmeray in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Esmeray still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Esmeray in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Esmeray can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Esmeray?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.