Meaning
A name that means something.
EMost likely from Old Persian sitareh ("star"), reaching Hebrew as אֶסְתֵּר. The Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people from Haman, as told in the Book of Esther.
A name from Persian · Girl
Esther
Most likely from Old Persian sitareh ("star"), reaching Hebrew as אֶסְתֵּר. The Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people from Haman, as told in the Book of Esther.
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Popularity over time
266,737 U.S. births recorded
from 1880–2023.
A 143-year arc in numbers.
Popularity · 1880–2023
2,026 births in 2023
1880 1951 2023
Babies named per year Peak year Most recent
Variants & spellings
Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint. 2 ways to spell "Esther".
Ester Most common Estera
Related guides
Read more in the Almanac.
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Quick answers
People often ask about Esther.
- What does the name Esther mean?
- Esther means most likely from Old Persian sitareh ("star"), reaching Hebrew as אֶסְתֵּר. The Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people from Haman, as told in the Book of Esther.
- Where does the name Esther come from?
- Esther is a girl name of Persian origin.
- Is Esther a boy or a girl name?
- Esther is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 266,737 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
- How popular is the name Esther in 2023?
- Esther ranks #138 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1918 with 6,574 babies.
- How do you pronounce Esther?
- Esther is pronounced ES-ter (2 syllables).
- What are common spellings of Esther?
- Esther is also written as Ester, Estera.
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About this page
Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.