Esmeralda

Esmeralda means emerald in Spanish and Portuguese, drawn from the Greek smaragdos through Latin. Victor Hugo gave the name its most famous bearer, the dancer at the heart of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, and the name has glittered in Hispanic usage ever since. Four syllables, es-me-RAL-da, with a bright central R and a soft fall-off, a small jewelry box of sound. It has risen on American charts as parents lean into longer, more ornamental Spanish names. The name feels theatrical and warm, full of flamenco and firelight. Esmeralda suits a girl unafraid of color, of song, of the attention her name will earn her.