The first name Esther
A girl’s name from Persian meaning “star”, “ishtar”.
Pronounced /ˈɛstɚ/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Persian origin
Esther means “star”, “ishtar” in Persian.
From Ancient Greek Ἐσθήρ (Esthḗr), from Biblical Hebrew אֶסְתֵּר (ʾestēr). Has been connected to Old Persian 𐎠𐎿𐎫𐎼 (a-s-t-r /star-/, “star”) (whence Middle Persian 𐭮𐭲𐭫 (stl /star/, “star”), 𐭮𐭲𐭠𐭫𐭪 (stʾlk /stārag/, “star”), Persian ستاره (sitāra /setâre, “star”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (if so, a distant doublet of star); or else to Akkadian 𒀭𒈹 (Ištar, “Ishtar”) (Hebrew עִשְׁתָּר (ʿištār)).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 333 girls were named Esther, making it the 150th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 380 births (#141).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Esther with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Esther at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,277 girls born in the United States were named Esther, the 119th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 6,574 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Esther in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Esther in Danish, Dutch, French, German, Latin, Spanish and Welsh too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Esther
85 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Esther DufloFrench-American economist (born 1972)
- Esther WilliamsAmerican swimmer, actress and singer (1921–2013)
- Esther LederbergAmerican microbiologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics (1922–2006)
- Esther VilarArgentine writer, born 1935
- Esther VergeerDutch wheelchair tennis player, born 1981
- Esther RolleActress (1920-1998)
- Esther RalstonAmerican actress (1902–1994)
- Esther HayutFormer Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, born 1953
- Esther McVeyBritish politician (born 1967)
- Esther M. ConwellAmerican physicist, 1922–2014
- Esther HartDutch singer, born 1970
- Esther PhillipsAmerican singer (1935–1984)
More Persian girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Esther mean?
- Esther means “star”, “ishtar” in Persian.
- What is the origin of the name Esther?
- From Ancient Greek Ἐσθήρ (Esthḗr), from Biblical Hebrew אֶסְתֵּר (ʾestēr). Has been connected to Old Persian 𐎠𐎿𐎫𐎼 (a-s-t-r /star-/, “star”) (whence Middle Persian 𐭮𐭲𐭫 (stl /star/, “star”), 𐭮𐭲𐭠𐭫𐭪 (stʾlk /stārag/, “star”), Persian ستاره (sitāra /setâre, “star”)), from…
- How popular is the name Esther?
- In 2025, 333 girls born in England and Wales were named Esther, ranking 150th. Its peak was 2017, with 380 births.
- What are nicknames for Esther?
- Common nicknames for Esther include Esti, Estee, Ettie.
- Is Esther a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 272,206 US babies named Esther since 1880 were girls.
- When was Esther most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 6,574 babies were named Esther, its highest rank at 38th.
- How do you pronounce Esther?
- Esther is /ˈɛstɚ/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Esther?
- Ester and Essie.