UK name, mostly girls
Esher
An anglicized form of the Hebrew name Asher, meaning "happy" or "blessed".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 9 boys.
Esher is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Esher popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 4 births.
This profile covers 16 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2010 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
Esher is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 16 living people in the UK are called Esher. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Esher ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 4 girls were registered as Esher.
- • Esher is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 16 living people in the UK are estimated to have Esher as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 64.0% of Esher registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4709
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2023
4 births
Estimated living
16
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Esher
In England and Wales birth records, Esher has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 36.0% of registrations are for boys and 64.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Esher registered for boys
- Ranked #4,749 in 2018
- 3 boys registered in 2018
- Peak: 2006 (3 births)
Esher registered for girls
- Ranked #4,709 in 2023
- 4 girls registered in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (4 births)
Meaning
What does Esher mean?
The name Esher is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "esc" meaning "ash tree" and "hyrst" meaning "wooded hill." It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a settlement located on a wooded hill populated with ash trees.
The earliest recorded use of the name Esher can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a record of landholdings and settlements in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a village called "Aissers" or "Aissesse," which is believed to be the modern-day town of Esher in Surrey, England.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Esher was Esher de Burgh, a prominent English nobleman who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He was a member of the powerful de Burgh family and held the position of Lord of Esher in Surrey.
Another notable figure with the name Esher was Sir Thomas Esher, a British lawyer and politician who lived from 1857 to 1934. He served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as a Privy Counsellor in 1916.
In the field of art, Esher Patrick Wolcot (1904-1973) was an American painter and printmaker known for his abstract expressionist works. His art was exhibited in major galleries and museums across the United States.
Esher Singh (1888-1966) was an Indian independence activist and politician who played a significant role in the struggle for India's freedom from British rule. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and was a prominent figure in the Indian National Congress.
The name Esher has also been recorded in various literary works, including the novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" by Agatha Christie, where one of the characters is named Esher Ralston.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Esher over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Esher in England and Wales, from 2006 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Esher, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Esher by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Esher 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 | #5101 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010s | #5741 | 9 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Esher
- 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
Esher: questions and answers
How popular is the name Esher in the UK right now?
In 2023, Esher was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Esher most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 4 babies registered as Esher in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Esher?
An anglicized form of the Hebrew name Asher, meaning "happy" or "blessed".
How many people are called Esher in the UK?
A total of 16 babies have been registered as Esher across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.