Its popularity curve has only increased in recent years. Could it be thanks to its very special meaning?
For decades, certain first names seemed to have fallen into oblivion, to make way for more modern choices. However, in recent years, some of them have experienced a real comeback. Borrowed from our grandparents or rediscovered following the release of a film or a literary saga, these first names are attracting more and more young parents in search of authenticity and singularity. First names like Léon, Adèle or Victor, long neglected, are once again making their mark in civil status registers.
The singer’s daughter Louane, 27, who is currently a judge on the show “Popstars” and who is releasing a new album in October, has one of these pretty first names. It is increasingly attributed, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee). This is the first name Esmée from Old French and adopted by Louane and her partner, Florian Rossi, for their daughter, born in March 2020. Their choice fell on it above all for its symbolic meaning…
“It means who is loved. Honestly, I admit that it was my boyfriend who chose. He proposed to me and I found it very stylish”declared the young mother in the show “50’inside”, on TF1. For the record, this first name is the diminutive of Esmeralda, its variant being Esme, without accent and with a single “e” at the end. It began to emerge in France in 2001, well before the publication of the “Twilight” books, released in 2005, and the discovery of the character of Esmée Cullen. The success of the literary saga undoubtedly contributed to the popularity of the first name Esmée in France, according to the experts and authors of L’Officiel des Noms (First editions). In 2022, a new peak was reached with 572 births of babies bearing the first name Esmée.
Furthermore, according to our colleagues from Parisianthis first name should still be talked about in the coming years. 781 little Esmées were born in 2023, “i.e. 38% more than in 2022”. “Baptiste Coulmont (sociologist of first names, editor’s note) relieving (Also) that the first name Esmée has seen a doubling of the number of babies to which it is assigned in a few years.” Who knows, maybe one day he could find himself in the top places in the national rankings…
