Estes
Masculine
Estes is given to both — 545 boys and 56 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Estes is a surname given as a first name, almost always to boys and very occasionally to girls. It is the name of a Colorado mountain town at the gate of Rocky Mountain National Park.
How old is the name Estes?
Estes first appears in US birth records in 1887 — 138 years ago. The typical Estes alive today was born around 1925, making them about 100 years old. About 100 people named Estes are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Estes most popular?
Estes peaked in 1888, reaching #815 nationally. See the whole 1888 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Estes
Joel Estes, a restless pioneer, came upon a high mountain valley while hunting and settled his family there, and the place took his name: Estes Park, now the town at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, with elk grazing on its lawns. The surname crossed into first names mostly for boys. For the rare girl who carries it, it is a name with mountain air in it.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Estes is an English surname whose origin is not settled. As a first name it carries the surname, and nothing more is recorded about its use for girls.
Pronouncing Estes
ES-teez
Two syllables, stressed on the first.
Nicknames for Estes
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1887
- Most boys named
- 191629 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #815reached in 1888
- Change vs 2022
- −16.7%5 in 2024, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Estess among us
people named Estes are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Estes sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is distinctive and connected to a beautiful American place.
- Essie gives it a soft short form.
- Nearly every child given it is a boy, so a girl named Estes will usually be taken for a boy on paper.
- People will take it for a surname first.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Estes to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Estes? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Estes
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Estess are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Estes are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Estes in 2025?
- Estes is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Estes with classmates?
- Estes will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More E names
The most-given names starting with E, all years combined.
Edward#224 · Eric#273 · Ethan#24 · Eugene#943 · Elijah#7 · Ernest#1038 · Earl#2230 · Evan#153
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Estes? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Estes and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle