Esmeralda

es-meh-RAHL-da; ez-meh-RAHL-dah; Izh-muh-RAHL-dah

Spanish and Portuguese

"emerald"

Esmeralda Origin and Meaning

The name Esmeralda is a girl's name of Spanish, Portuguese origin meaning "emerald".

Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda. In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the heroine was born Agnes, but called La Esmeralda in reference to the jewel she wears around her neck. The name Esmeralda got increased visibility via the Disney version of the story.

This Portuguese and Spanish version of the jewel-like Emerald has long been popular with Hispanic parents. Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their first daughter Esmeralda, inspired by the Victor Hugo novel. Read more about Esmeralda and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

Esmeralda Rank in US Top 1000

# 342 in the US

Esmeralda Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 850 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Esmeralda

• 342 US 2023
• 850 Nameberry 2025
• 951 England 2023
• 36 Mexico 2021

20 Names Similar to Esmeralda

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Esmeralda.

• Violetta
• Celestina
• Tatiana
• Morgana
• Deirdra
• Cynthia
• Olympia
• Valeria
• Valentina
• Hera
• Narcissa
• Marina
• Selene
• Hermione
• Sapphira
• Lillith
• Isis
• Celestia
• Bellatrix
• Gaia

Famous People Named Esmeralda

• (María) Esmeralda Pimentel Mexican actress
• Esmeralda "Es" Devlin British costume designer
• Esmeralda Santiago Puerto Rican novelist and actress
• Esmeralda Labye Belgian TV journalist
• Esmeralda de Jesus Freitas Garcia Brazilian track athlete
• Esmeralda Alejandrina Yaniche Venezuelan beauty queen
• Esmeralda Amada Gosling daughter of Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes

The name Esmeralda in Pop Culture

• Esmeralda character in book/film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
• Esmeralda Frank's young cousin in "The Wasp Factory," by Iain Banks
• Esmeralda character on TV's "Bewitched"
• Esmeralda (Took) Brandybuck hobbit mentioned in "The Lord of the Rings" series
• Esmeralda Hallow older sister of Ethel and Sybil on BBC's "The Worst Witch"
• Lucille Esmeralda "Lucy" Ricardo titular character of the show "I Love Lucy"

International Variations of the name Esmeralda

• Ismeralda Spanish