UK girl's name
Esha
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "beloved" or "desire".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Esha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Esha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1491, with 21 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 133 births.
This profile covers 1,509 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 16% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,512 living people in the UK are called Esha. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Esha ranked #1491 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 21 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 133 girls were registered as Esha.
- • Esha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #633 in 2007.
- • About 1,512 living people in the UK are estimated to have Esha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1491
2024
Births in 2024
21
Latest year
Peak year
2002
133 births
Estimated living
1,512
2026
Meaning
What does Esha mean?
The name Esha has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the root for many modern Indian languages. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "ish," which means "to wish" or "to desire." The name gained popularity in ancient India, where it was given to girls with the hope that their desires and aspirations would be fulfilled.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Esha can be found in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. In the Rig Veda, which dates back to around 1500-1200 BCE, there are references to an ancient goddess named Isha, who was associated with fertility and abundance. This goddess was believed to grant blessings and fulfill the wishes of her devotees, which may have contributed to the popularity of the name Esha.
In the epic Mahabharata, which is believed to have been composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, there is a character named Esha Rishi, who was a celebrated sage and spiritual teacher. His teachings and wisdom were highly regarded in ancient Indian culture, further solidifying the name's association with wisdom and enlightenment.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Esha. One of the earliest was Esha Nand (1493-1582), a renowned Hindu philosopher and poet who made significant contributions to the Bhakti movement, a spiritual renaissance that swept across India during the medieval period.
Another prominent figure was Esha Poornima (1863-1936), a pioneering Indian social reformer and educator who fought against the practice of child marriage and advocated for women's education. Her efforts played a pivotal role in shaping the modern Indian education system.
In the 20th century, Esha Gupta (born 1985) gained fame as a successful Indian model and actress, known for her roles in Bollywood films and her advocacy for animal rights. Her name has helped to popularize the name Esha among modern Indian parents.
Esha Deol (born 1981) is another notable individual, as she is a renowned Indian film actress and producer who hails from the renowned Deol family, a prominent dynasty in the Indian film industry. Her name has also contributed to the name's widespread recognition and use.
Esha Khanna (born 1978) is an accomplished Indian-American journalist and news anchor, who has worked for prestigious news organizations such as CNBC and Bloomberg. Her career success and public profile have further cemented the name's association with intelligence and accomplishment.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Esha over time
The chart below shows babies named Esha registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Esha, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 21 births in 2024, compared with 133 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Esha by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Esha was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1476 | 104 | 5 |
| 2010s | #909 | 443 | 10 |
| 2000s | #451 | 926 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1897 | 36 | 4 |
Geography
Where Esha is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Esha. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Esha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #633 in 2007.
Across the UK
Esha in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#633 in 2007
3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered
Related
Names similar to Esha
- Emily 121,621
- Ella 69,101
- Ellie 63,522
- Evie 52,944
- Emma 50,755
- Eleanor 40,576
- Elizabeth 39,225
- Erin 34,816
- Eva 29,738
- Evelyn 26,911
- Elsie 23,671
- Emilia 22,167
FAQ
Esha: questions and answers
How popular is the name Esha in the UK right now?
In 2024, Esha was ranked #1491 for girls in England and Wales, with 21 births registered.
When was Esha most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 133 babies registered as Esha in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Esha?
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "beloved" or "desire".
How many people are called Esha in the UK?
A total of 1,509 babies have been registered as Esha across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.
Where is Esha most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Esha ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #633 in 2007. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.