Essex

Where Essex comes from

Inherited from Old English Ēastseaxan (literally “East Saxons”), which stood for both Essex and the people of Essex.
— Wiktionary's entry for Essex
  • place
  • 2 syllables
Along the way
  1. 1882
    First appearance
    #943 among boys, 5 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
  2. 1894
    Peak, #787
    8 babies named Essex — more than any year before or since.
  3. 1895
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births.
  4. 1946
    Essex Johnson born
    American football player
  5. 1957
    Essex Hemphill born
    American poet and writer
In the dictionary
  • A unisex given name transferred from the place name.
Namesakes
  • Essex Hemphill · American poet and writer, 1957–1995
  • Essex Johnson · American football player, 1946–2020

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.