Esther
Esther: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɛstə/ · /ˈɛstɚ/
Meaning and origin of Esther
- A female given name from Persian.
Etymology
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)).
How popular is Esther?
Since 1880, 271,234 girls and 972 boys in the U.S. have been named Esther (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #27 in 1896. Its highest rank for boys was #512 in 1895. In 2025 it ranked #119 for girls, with 2,277 babies given the name.
Names similar to Esther
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
More Persian girl names
Sibling name ideas for Esther
Sister and brother names that share Esther's Persian roots and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
Esther FAQ
What does the name Esther mean?
A female given name from 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)).
What is the origin of the name Esther?
Esther is listed as a name of Persian origin.
How popular is the name Esther?
Since 1880, 271,234 girls and 972 boys in the U.S. have been named Esther (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #27 in 1896. Its highest rank for boys was #512 in 1895. In 2025 it ranked #119 for girls, with 2,277 babies given the name.
Is Esther a boy or girl name?
Esther is mostly a girl name in the U.S.: 271,234 girls and 972 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.