Feminine dossier · first seen 1973
Essence
Resurgent
Gaining cultural share
Peak era
1998
Peak births
565
Current vitality
Fragile
Peak generation
Gen Z
Quick answers about Essence
How many people are named Essence?
An estimated 10,534 living Americans are named Essence.
How rare is Essence?
Essence is uncommon among babies today, with 199 girls receiving the name in 2025, down 64.8% from its 1998 peak.
How old is the typical Essence?
The median age of a living American named Essence is approximately 24 years, with most bearers falling between 15 and 30 years old.
Is Essence still popular?
Yes — Essence is currently rising in popularity, with 199 births in 2025.
Where is Essence most common?
Essence has its strongest geographic signal in South Carolina, where it appears 4.7× more often than the national baseline.
1973Peak 19982025
Peak year
1998
Decline from peak
64.8%
2025
199
All-time
10,744
Where it lives now
Essence is most concentrated in South Carolina — about 4.7× the national rate in the 2000s. It also runs high in Louisiana.
States where Essence is given more often than the national average — its present-day heartland.