Abigail vs Esmae
Abigail and Esmaecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #80 and Esmae #227 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #102 and Esmae #315 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Esmae #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Esmae #155 among girls in England and Wales.
Abigail and Esmae over time
Abigail and Esmae appear together in 3 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Esmae in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Abigail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Esmae in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Esmae in 2.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Esmae #102 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Esmae #155.
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2015–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Esmae in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #52 in 2016, Esmae #412 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Esmae #718.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2014–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Esmae in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #46 in 2014, Esmae #223 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #80, Esmae #227.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abigail | Esmae |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Esmae.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Esmae
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #1958 among girls in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #102 among girls in England and Wales, in 2019 (recorded 1997–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls