Esau is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It is derived from the Hebrew word "'esaw," which means "hairy." In the Bible, Esau was the twin brother of Jacob and son of Isaac and Rebekah. He is known for selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew. Despite this incident, Esau later forgave his brother and they reconciled before their father's death.
The name Esau has been used throughout history by various individuals, including Esau the Canaanite king who was defeated by David, as recorded in the Old Testament. However, it is important to note that the use of this name predates its appearance in the Bible, as it was already in use among the Semitic-speaking peoples of the ancient Near East.
Today, Esau is still used as a given name, though it has become somewhat less common in recent years. It remains a strong and distinctive name with a rich historical background.
The name Esau has seen a varied pattern of usage in the United States over the years, with periods of both popularity and decline.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the name Esau was used relatively infrequently. Between 1880 and 1916, there were fewer than 24 births per year on average. However, in 1916, there was a significant increase with 24 births recorded that year.
The name's popularity began to rise steadily from the late 1930s onwards. In 1939, there were 22 births, and this figure increased to 19 in 1942 and then to 21 in 1950. This upward trend continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s, with the highest number of births recorded during this period being 22 in 1957.
However, from the mid-1970s onwards, there was a significant increase in the popularity of the name Esau. In 1979, there were 24 births, and this figure rose to 39 in 1989 and peaked at 73 in the year 2000.
Since then, the popularity of the name has fluctuated but remained relatively high. Between 2001 and 2023, there have been between 25 and 44 births per year on average. The most recent data from 2023 shows that there were 33 births.
In total, over the period from 1880 to 2023, there have been 2899 recorded births of the name Esau in the United States. This demonstrates a varied but ultimately increasing trend in the popularity of this name over time.