Essa
How to say it: ESS-uh · /ˈɛsə/
From Arabic 'Isa' variant meaning 'Jesus' - short unisex name also used as nickname for Vanessa or Esther.
Essa was the 534th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 61 babies of either sex (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up 2.0-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #424 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #534 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 (both sexes) | 61 |
| Share of births | 1 in 4,516 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.0 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #424 |
| In France, 2025 | #82 among boys’ names, 0 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Essa is climbing: the 2020s are already its best decade.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Ess
- Essie
Honouring a Essa in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Essa is about 1 in 189.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English.
In France: #82 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Essa
- Essa Al-Zenkawi (born 1992)Kuwaiti discus thrower
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
Find names you'll both love, starting with Essa
The one-minute style quiz.