Essence

Where Essence comes from

The dictionaries list Essence as a given name — a female given name of African-American usage — but don't trace where it came from. The record below is what the SSA data shows.

  • Vowel-ended
Along the way
  1. 1972
    Essence Atkins born
    American actress
  2. 1973
    First appearance
    #6,080 among girls, 8 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
  3. 1986
    Essence Carson born
    American basketball player
  4. 1998
    Peak, #456
    565 babies named Essence — more than any year before or since.
  5. 2002
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #846.
In the dictionary
  • A female given name of African-American usage.
Namesakes
  • Essence Atkins · American actress, born 1972
  • Essence Carson · American basketball player, born 1986

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.