The name l'Esquirol (literally "the squirrel") comes from a former local inn Hostal de l'Esquirol which was recorded in the 17th century, but is thought to be ultimately from the old Catalan "es querol", meaning "the little rock".

[4][5] "Esquirol" is used as a pejorative term for strikebreakers in Catalan and Spanish,[6] equivalent to "scab" in English.

[5] The village dates to the 15th century when it formed along the path from Vic to Olot.

The settlement started around an inn called the Hostal de l'Esquirol on a homestead named Parai.

The other name of the village, Santa Maria de Corcó, was added in 1743 when the Corcó parish relocated to Esquirol, and became the official name of the municipality in Francoist Spain.