Essence

Did you know?

A few things about Essence you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Essence

Essence Atkins

American actress

Choose Essence and your child shares a first name with Essence Atkins, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Essence, like who?” Essence Atkins's Wikipedia article is available in 23 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Essence Atkins on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Sister Circle TV, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 8,078 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Essence, 199 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Essence would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryEssence first shows up in US birth records in 1973, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 52 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1998, when it reached #456.
• 🚀TrendEssence has climbed 64 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,163. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedEssence is most popular in Arkansas, where it ranks #489, followed by Virginia (#662) and Louisiana (#677). It's in the top 1,000 in 10 states.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Essence means “essence”. Our records link it to American, English and Latin roots.

About the name Essence

Essence is a girl name of American, English and Latin origin meaning “essence”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with E and ending in “-nce”. US birth records list Essence for girls from 1973 to 2025, in 53 of those 53 years. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked #456 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,163, with 199 babies.

Origin:American namesEnglish namesLatin names