Essie is a given name and nickname/

hypocorism A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also ''hypocoristic''), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for Isabel or ''Bob (given name), Bob'' fo ...

usually used as a feminine name. As a standalone name, ''Essie'' can be found in several languages, including Romance, Germanic, and Persian ones. In each case, the name means "star." As a nickname, it is used as a short form of several names, including ''

Esther Esther (; ), originally Hadassah (; ), is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical narrative, which is set in the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and ma ...

'', '' Estelle'', ''Estella'', ''Estrella'', ''Chreistos'' ''Chrestus'', ''Celeste'', ''Jessica'', ''Leslie'', ''Lesley'', ''Estefania'', ''Elizabeth'', Estabella and ''Esmeralda''. In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the name reached its greatest popularity in the 1890s, peaking as the 139th most popular name for girls born during that decade.

People

Women

* Essie Ackland (1896–1975), Australian singer *

Essie Coffey Essie Coffey (born Essieina Shillingsworth Jibbah; – 3 January 1998), also known as Essieina Goodgabah and "Bush Queen of Brewarrina", was an Aboriginal Australian community worker, filmmaker, singer, and advocate for Indigenous Australians ...

(1940–1998), Australian Muruwari woman, co-founder of the Western Aboriginal Legal Service *

Essie Davis Esther "Essie" Davis is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in '' Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' and its film adaptation, '' Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears'', and as Amelia Vanek in '' The Babadook''. ...

(born 1970), Australian actress * Essie Garrett (1947–2014), American ultramarathon runner and instructor *

Essie Jain Essie Jain is an English singer and songwriter born and raised in London, who is now based in Los Angeles. Biography Her first published work was a single track, "Why", on the album ''The Sound the Hare Heard'', which contains a single track e ...

, English indie singer-songwriter *

Essie Jenyns Essie Jenyns (5 October 1864 – 6 August 1920) was an Australian actress best known for her Shakespearean roles. Birth and early life Elizabeth Esther Ellen Jennings was born in Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland in 1864. Her father, Charles Rober ...

(1864–1920), Australian stage actress *

Essie Kelley Essie Kelley-Washington (born January 12, 1957) is an American former middle-distance runner who specialized in the 800-meter run. She was the gold medallist in that event at the 1979 Pan American Games. She also represented America at the 1983 W ...

(born 1957), American former middle-distance runner *

Essie Pinola Parrish Essie Pinola Parrish (1902–1979), was a Kashaya Pomo spiritual leader and exponent of native traditions. She was also a notable basket weaver. Biography Essie Nellie Fisk Pinola (Pewoya in the Kashaya Pomo language) was born in 1902 to Em ...

(1902–1979), Native American spiritual leader and basket weaver *

Essie Wick Rowland Essie Wick Rowland (née Osborn; September 2, 1871 – August 20, 1957) was an American socialite. She was deeply engaged in New York Society as a member and president of numerous society organizations. She supported women's suffrage, poverty all ...

(1871–1957), American socialite *

Essie Shevill Essie Shevill (6 April 1908 – 19 October 1989) was an Australian cricketer. Shevill played three Test matches for the Australia national women's cricket team The Australian women's national cricket team, formerly known as the Southern ...

(1908–1989), Australian cricketer *

Essie Summers Essie Summers (born Ethel Snelson Summers, 24 July 1912 – 27 August 1998) was a New Zealand writer whose romance novels sold more than 19 million copies in 105 countries. She was known as New Zealand's "Queen of Romance." Writing Despite t ...

(1912–1998), New Zealand author *

Essie Mae Washington-Williams Essie Mae Washington-Williams ( Butler; October 12, 1925 – February 4, 2013) was an American teacher and author. She was the eldest child of Strom Thurmond, Governor of South Carolina and longtime United States senator widely denigrated for h ...

(1925–2013), the oldest child of the late United States Senator Strom Thurmond *

Essie Weingarten Essie Weingarten is the founder of Essie Cosmetics, Ltd., branded as essie, a major American nail polish brand. Weingarten, born in 1949, began her career in the cosmetics industry in 1981 when she premiered 12 fashion nail polish colors in Las ...

(born 1949), founder of Essie Cosmetics, Ltd * Essie Whitman (c. 1887 – 1963), one of the

Whitman Sisters The Whitman Sisters were four African-American sisters who were stars of Black Vaudeville. They ran their own performing touring company for over forty years from 1900 to 1943, becoming the longest-running and best-paid act on the T.O.B.A. circu ...

black vaudeville stars

Men

Essie Hollis Essie B Hollis (born May 16, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player. He played at the small forward position. He played college basketball for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies College career Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, Hollis att ...

(born 1955), American retired basketball player *

Essie Sakhai Essie Sakhai (born in Tehran, Iran and educated in Great Britain) is an Iranian businessman and one of the world's foremost experts, collectors and dealers of the ancient Iranian art form of the Persian and Oriental Carpets and Rugs. Born to a ...

, Iranian-born British expert on Persian carpets and oriental rugs

Fictional characters

Essie Harrison Estelle "Essie" Harrison (also Di Lucca) is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama ''Holby City'', played by actress Kaye Wragg. She first appeared in the series sixteen episode "My Name Is Joe", broadcast on 6 May 2014. Essie arrives ...

, on the British medical drama series ''Holby City''

References

{{given name Feminine hypocorisms