Names That Mean Emerald

Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "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.

Gemstone names have a long history of use, from Ruby to Pearl. Emeraude is the French word for emerald. If the Spanish Esmeralda is stylish, why not Emeraude?

As a Japanese name, Umina derives from umi, meaning "sea", combined with a range of other kanji characters.

While the traditional Esmé is pronounced EZ-may, the Isme variation would suggest an IZ-may pronunciation.

Panna is a name with many allusions — in addition to those above, a serene and sacred city in India and the Italian word for cream. Panna might make a fresh alternative to Anna or Hannah.

Zümra is derived from the Turkish word for "emerald," zümrüt. The Ü in Zümra is pronounced with a short U sound similar to the ou in words like "should" and "could."

The more streamlined version Esmeralda may work better in the States, but Smeralda is an intriguing variation.