Espn
An acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.
Name Census estimates that about 226 living Americans carry the first name Espn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 75.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Espn today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Espn births was 2006 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Espn. 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.
People living today
226
~ 1 in 1,516,612 Americans
Peak year
2006
19 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2021 SSA rank
#11,170
Tracked since 2004
Gender
Gender distribution for Espn
Espn is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 228 total registrations, 173 (75.9%) were male and 55 (24.1%) were female.
Espn as a male name
- Ranked #11,170 in 2021
- 6 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2006 (19 births)
Espn as a female name
- Ranked #13,953 in 2023
- 6 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2017 (12 births)
Popularity
Espn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Espn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 132 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Espn 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 Espn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Espn
The name Espn has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BCE. The name is believed to be derived from the Sumerian words "es" meaning "to shine" and "pn" meaning "life," suggesting a meaning of "shining life" or "radiant existence."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Espn can be found in the cuneiform inscriptions on clay tablets from the city of Ur, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE. These tablets mention an individual named "Espn-ki," who was believed to be a high-ranking official or a member of the priesthood during the reign of King Shulgi.
In ancient Mesopotamian mythology, Espn was also the name of a minor deity associated with fertility and agriculture. This deity was often depicted in relief carvings and statues, holding sheaves of wheat or other grain crops, symbolizing the connection between the name and the concept of abundant life.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Espn. One of the earliest was Espn of Sidon (c. 550 BCE), a renowned philosopher and mathematician from the Phoenician city of Sidon (modern-day Lebanon). He is credited with developing some of the earliest theories on geometry and the concept of the golden ratio.
Another historical figure was Espn the Elder (c. 200 CE), a Christian theologian and scholar from Alexandria, Egypt. He wrote extensively on the interpretation of biblical texts and is considered one of the founding fathers of Christian exegesis.
During the Middle Ages, the name Espn gained popularity in certain regions of Europe, particularly in the areas under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire. One notable figure was Espn of Trier (c. 1050 CE), a Benedictine monk and scribe who was renowned for his beautiful calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts.
In the Renaissance period, Espn Filomarino (1499-1569) was an Italian nobleman and patron of the arts, known for his support of artists such as Titian and Michelangelo. His patronage helped to foster the flourishing of the arts during this pivotal cultural period.
Moving into the modern era, Espn Zamenhof (1859-1917) was a Polish ophthalmologist and the creator of the constructed language Esperanto, which was intended to serve as a universal means of communication among people of different languages and cultures.
It is important to note that while the name Espn has a rich historical lineage, its usage as a given name has been relatively rare in modern times, especially in comparison to more commonly known names from various cultures and languages.
People
Espn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Espn 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
Espn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Espn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 226 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Espn 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 1,516,612 US residents.
Is Espn a common name?
We classify Espn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 228 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Espn most popular?
The single biggest year for Espn was 2006, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Espn is about 14 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 Espn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Espn a male name?
Yes, 75.9% of people registered as Espn in the SSA data are male. 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 Espn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Espn 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 Espn 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 are called Espn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.