| Esperanza | Pilar | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | hope | pillar |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | es-peh-RAHN-sah | pee-LAR |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1903 | 1896 |
| Peak year | 2000 (499) | 2005 (137) |
| In 2025 | 188 | 47 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Esperanza | Pilar |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,454 | 288 |
| 2010s | 2,690 | 627 |
| 2000s | 3,814 | 1,099 |
| 1990s | 2,359 | 760 |
| 1980s | 1,302 | 573 |
| 1970s | 1,317 | 626 |
| 1960s | 1,232 | 530 |
| 1950s | 1,500 | 246 |
| 1940s | 1,602 | 138 |
| 1930s | 1,385 | 165 |
| 1920s | 1,695 | 261 |
| 1910s | 454 | 154 |
| 1900s | 45 | 28 |
| 1890s | 0 | 10 |
The Spanish word for 'hope', from the Latin sperantia (from sperare 'to hope'). One of the three theological virtues and a Marian title, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope).
A Marian devotional name from 'María del Pilar', Our Lady of the Pillar — commemorating the tradition that the Virgin appeared to Saint James standing on a pillar in Zaragoza. Pilar is simply the Spanish word 'pillar, column', from the Latin pila.
Esperanza is more popular than Pilar today: about 188 US babies were given the name Esperanza in 2025, compared with 47 named Pilar.
Esperanza means hope (spanish origin), while Pilar means pillar (spanish origin).
In US records, Esperanza first appears in 1903 and Pilar in 1896, so Pilar has the longer recorded history.