How to read the band →
Solid line = floor (spellings that unambiguously belong to the group). Shaded band up to the dashed edge = ceiling (the most it could reach if every ambiguous spelling counted here).
Esmeralda
Esmeralda is now well below its former popularity. All-time it's been given to 51,751 U.S. babies, the 736th most common name by sound today, peaking at 2,484 in 1998, with 823 in 2025.
Esmeralda has no common alternate spellings by sound.
Rising
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, “National data” baby-names files (1880–2025).