Esther Name Meaning

The name Esther symbolizes bravery and strength. Esther was not just a beautiful queen but also a strong and courageous leader who saved her people from certain doom. The name is also associated with beauty and grace. Esther was a beautiful young woman who was chosen to be the queen of Persia. The name is also associated with the myrtle tree, which is a symbol of love and fertility.

History of the Name Esther

The name Esther comes from the Hebrew name “Hadassah,” which means “myrtle tree.” It’s most famously borne by the Jewish queen Esther in the Bible, who saved her people from extermination by the Persian king Xerxes. In the Book of Esther, Esther, a young Jewish girl, becomes queen of Persia and uses her position to reveal and stop a plot to exterminate the Jewish people. This story is celebrated in the Jewish holiday of Purim.

Popularity of the Name Esther

The name Esther has been popular for centuries. It was a popular name in the 19th century and early 20th century, and again in recent years. In the United States, the name Esther has been in the top 1000 names for girls since 1880. It reached its peak popularity in the early 1900s, and has been consistently popular in the past couple of decades.

Famous Esthers

There are many famous people named Esther, such as Esther Williams, the famous Hollywood actress and competitive swimmer, and Esther Hicks, an American inspirational speaker and author.

Final Thoughts on the Name Esther

The name Esther is a beautiful and meaningful name with a rich history. It symbolizes bravery, strength, beauty, and grace. The name Esther has been popular for centuries and is a great choice for any little girl.

Infographic of Esther name meaning, which is A Persian name, Esther means a star.
Ask your friends & family about Esther…

Esther Name Popularity

How popular is the name Esther? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 38 2,358 0.6697%
1911 34 2,670 0.717%
1912 33 3,567 0.7073%
1913 32 4,086 0.7207%
1914 35 4,653 0.6677%
1915 33 6,317 0.6953%
1916 34 6,419 0.6645%
1917 38 6,274 0.6271%
1918 38 6,572 0.6124%
1919 38 6,243 0.5962%
1920 39 6,066 0.5456%
1921 42 5,923 0.5173%
1922 44 5,473 0.4913%
1923 47 5,311 0.4742%
1924 51 5,255 0.4525%
1925 56 4,723 0.4179%
1926 62 4,452 0.4048%
1927 64 4,325 0.3907%
1928 66 4,092 0.3824%
1929 71 3,584 0.346%
1930 77 3,347 0.3204%
1931 79 3,030 0.307%
1932 82 2,955 0.2991%
1933 88 2,674 0.287%
1934 91 2,569 0.2657%
1935 94 2,538 0.2612%
1936 107 2,246 0.2332%
1937 116 2,143 0.2175%
1938 120 2,124 0.2075%
1939 117 2,101 0.2065%
1940 131 1,898 0.1786%
1941 138 1,796 0.1596%
1942 143 1,809 0.1433%
1943 151 1,756 0.1345%
1944 151 1,602 0.1293%
1945 161 1,438 0.1179%
1946 150 1,770 0.12%
1947 162 1,822 0.1092%
1948 154 1,833 0.1148%
1949 162 1,769 0.11%
1950 163 1,711 0.1063%
1951 168 1,801 0.1062%
1952 178 1,703 0.0976%
1953 190 1,596 0.0902%
1954 192 1,611 0.0881%
1955 202 1,545 0.084%
1956 209 1,477 0.0782%
1957 217 1,456 0.0757%
1958 229 1,309 0.0693%
1959 233 1,335 0.0703%
1960 233 1,339 0.0707%
1961 239 1,285 0.0681%
1962 251 1,230 0.067%
1963 263 1,100 0.0613%
1964 282 998 0.0567%
1965 279 936 0.0572%
1966 292 830 0.0532%
1967 311 726 0.0478%
1968 321 693 0.0462%
1969 338 665 0.0432%
1970 349 679 0.0427%
1971 335 720 0.0479%
1972 331 657 0.0482%
1973 316 695 0.0536%
1974 318 669 0.0515%
1975 322 651 0.0507%
1976 342 600 0.0466%
1977 310 726 0.0539%
1978 319 675 0.0502%
1979 316 714 0.0506%
1980 298 799 0.0546%
1981 273 871 0.0593%
1982 265 900 0.0602%
1983 277 820 0.0556%
1984 279 832 0.0559%
1985 292 813 0.0536%
1986 292 817 0.0541%
1987 288 812 0.0532%
1988 280 868 0.0557%
1989 289 866 0.0537%
1990 286 935 0.0564%
1991 305 877 0.0538%
1992 300 901 0.0564%
1993 301 849 0.0545%
1994 290 917 0.0598%
1995 302 885 0.0587%
1996 321 845 0.0564%
1997 319 875 0.0592%
1998 320 914 0.0611%
1999 320 941 0.0628%
2000 328 936 0.0613%
2001 299 1,022 0.0678%
2002 300 1,008 0.0673%
2003 290 1,044 0.0686%
2004 296 1,066 0.0699%
2005 281 1,156 0.0756%
2006 289 1,116 0.0713%
2007 272 1,230 0.078%
2008 268 1,244 0.0805%
2009 263 1,207 0.0808%
2010 260 1,228 0.0852%
2011 235 1,306 0.0917%
2012 236 1,311 0.092%
2013 220 1,394 0.0979%
2014 196 1,634 0.1122%
2015 199 1,587 0.1091%
2016 177 1,793 0.1244%
2017 161 1,798 0.1288%
2018 149 1,806 0.1315%
2019 163 1,682 0.1242%
2020 151 1,742 0.1369%
2021 190 1,416 0.1158%
2022 140 2,034 0.1542%

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Data via SSA.gov.


Names Like Esther

If you like Esther, you’ll love these other names like Esther.


What names are diminutives of Esther?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Esther sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Esther, but shorter.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Essie

Star; myrtle leaf

Persian

Hetty

Myrtle leaf; star; God rejoices

Persian


What names are variants of Esther?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Esther.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Essie

Star; myrtle leaf

Persian

Essy

Myrtle leaf

Persian

Esta

Latin

Estee

Star; myrtle leaf

Persian

Ester

Myrtle leaf

Persian

Estera

Myrtle leaf

Persian

Etti

Myrtle leaf

Persian

Ettie

Myrtle leaf; home ruler

Persian

Etty

Myrtle leaf; home ruler

Persian

Hester

Star

Greek

Hesther

Myrtle leaf; star

Persian

Hetty

Myrtle leaf; star; God rejoices

Persian


What names sound like Esther?

If you like how Esther sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Esther.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Astera

Star-like; love

Scandinavian

Astrea

Star

Latin

Astryr

Fair, beautiful goddess

Scandinavian

Estrid

Fair, beautiful goddess

Scandinavian

Wister

German


What names are similar to Esther?

Find a name that’s like Esther, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Asta

Star-like; love

Scandinavian

Easter

Christian spring festival

Egyptian

Estelle

Star

Latin

Hadassah

Myrtle tree

Hebrew

Starla

Star

Persian


Lists With Esther

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Esther.


Siblings of Esther

Mamas with kids named Esther also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Elinore

Sun ray, shining light

Greek

Tommy

A diminutive form of Thomas.

Aramaic

26 Comments

  1. Omg my name is Esther

  2. We wanted to choose a name with meaning. Esther Joy is her first and middle name. Esther means “star” or “radiant one” and we pray she always radiates the joy of the Lord as she grows up!

  3. Its my favorite bible story

    • I ? it

      • When I grow up I will be famous like Esther Williams

  4. She is very healthy and perfect

  5. Both my husband and I immediately liked the name when we heard it. The meaning (star) and the legacy (Queen Esther from the Bible) really resonated with us. The only slightly disconcerting thing was when we would tell people her name, many people made comments like “oh I love those ‘old school’ names”, or “that’s such a beautiful traditional name”. It bothered me at first that people would think the name Esther was “old school” or “traditional”, but I’ve learned not to mind.

  6. My name Esther simply mean a brighting star.

    • Yes Esther !the person is like you.we are aspecial light in life like ?

  7. My husband and I wanted to choose a biblical name considering we are Christians, and we love the book of Esther in the Bible. We call her Essie as a nickname!

    • Us too! My Essie was born in March! ?

  8. Esther has always been my favorite book of the Bible. It’s the only book where Gods name is not mentioned but it is so clear how he is orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
    In the book Esther is a strong woman who has boundaries and respect for herself and those around her.
    She is favored.
    Her name means star and her Hebrew name, hadassah, means myrtle tree.
    I was reading Esther this year and was thinking about our world and how everyone is fearful and doesn’t know what’s happening next. And I thought of the famous verse, maybe you were created for such a time as this.
    My husband and I were concerned about bringing a child into this world, one as dark as this is. But God sent a theologian I follow with a poem reminding me that He sent his Son into a world “as dark as this” and until his Son was here there was no light of the world.
    So, in my mind, maybe my Esther was sent into this dark world for such a time as this, and I cannot wait to raise her to be a strong woman, who sees and shares the love of God and shines His light everywhere!

    • Oh my goodness! This was exactly why I named my girl Esther as well. Same idea. One day I would love to tell her the story behind choosing her name. I believe she has a special calling, “for such a time as this.” ?

  9. Our little Esther was a surprise blessing! As soon as we found out about her, I began seeing the scripture from the book of Esther everywhere, which says, “Perhaps this is the moment for which you were created.” Esther was a strong, courageous woman who learned that God’s plan is greater than our own, and I believe the same for my daughter and her story that is just beginning.

  10. My name is Est?e, which is a French form of Esther. Although not listed above, since it is a very uncommon form. (Yes, I know the name Estee was listed above, and while they mean the same thing, they are pronounced completely different. Estee is pronounced how it looks, while Est?e is pronounced Estay. The French word ending ?e, makes the sound ay. And is commonly used for the feminine ending of many French words, especially French descriptives. One example is the French word for the greeting “nice to meet you.” Sounding the exact same, but spelled differently, depending on your sexuality. If you are a man you say: Enchant?. If you are a woman you say: Enchant?e. They sound the same, but are spelled according to the sexuality of the person speaking.)

    I was named after my Great Grandmother Esther. My parents would have likely named me simply Esther, had there already not been so many other great-grandchildren named after her as well. That and the fact that my parents had a special liking for unique names. (My sister was named Trillium Den?e, which literally means “flower of God redeemed”). In fact, they almost named me Jeanette Est?e, which is the French equivalent of Janet Esther. However, they soon realized that none of my teachers, doctors, etc, would ever get that right, since we live in the U.S. So, I was instead named Est?e Janet.

    I also have a feeling that I was named after Queen Esther from the Bible, as we are very much a Christian family. It is no wonder that she is one of my favorite people from the Bible, and that Esther is probably one of my favorite Old Testament books. My mom has always told me to live up to my name. To be a light in the darkness, a star. To be brave and stand up for what is right, just like my namesake Queen Esther did. And I don’t think that it’s coincidence that my middle name, Janet, means courage. 🙂

    So if there is someone looking for a beautiful but meaningful name for their little girl, I think that Est?e (or Esther) is a wonderful choice. It means beauty, star (which is a for of light), bravery, good morals, mytrle, and is the name of one of the bravest, most Godly women to ever walk this earth. If you have ever studied the Bible, you will have learned that there are very few woman who have their name mentioned. The are only reason two reasons you would have had your name mentioned in the Bible. A) you were a very Godly person and did something worthwhile to be mention, or B) you were so sinful and vile, that you were mentioned for the sake of using you as an example of what not to act like. Obviously choice A was more common, especially with women. So the have your name put in the Bible as a woman, let alone have a whole book named after you, was very uncommon. There are only two books in the entire Bible that are named after women: Esther and Ruth. And they were both very Godly women, and was/are highly looked up to for their undying faith, reliance, and obedience to God.

    I am honored to carry the name that I do. I only hope that when I am called home to my Lord and Savior, that I will have left behind a legacy that lived up to my namesake.

    • Lol! I just realized that this website put in a ? where my special e should be, the one with an accent on it. Go figure!! ? You can see the correct spelling with the accent if you look at my name where is says who commented. If that doesn’t work, just search Google for “e with accent aigu”. It’s the French accent that starts in the lower left section above a letter an goes diagonally up to the upper right section of a letter. (Not to be confused with an accent grave, which is it’s opposite.) Otherwise just go to Google Translate, and make your first language English and the second French. Then type in the English box, “nice to meet you”. It’s not a fully accurate translation (Google Translate rarely is), but the first word will be Enchante, except it should have the accent aigu on the very last letter (an e). Hope that helps! Thanks!!

  11. We choose Esther because it was a name from both sides of the family. We have our family trees printed, and I went through them, suggesting names. My hubby vetoed some of them. We liked the name Esther. A few days later, I suggested some other names, and hubby was like, “I thought we already picked a name!” 😀 Also, I love the story of Esther in the Bible– are was such a strong woman!

  12. I choose the name form the biblical point of view simply because of the good character she had. even though she was an orphan girl she had good morals.

  13. She was born for such a time as this

  14. Esther got her name from Queen Esther from the Bible which means beautiful queen. Also my great grandmothers name was Esther. Her middle name is Aponi which is native American for butterfly. So together they mean beautiful butterfly.

  15. Shares a birthday date and month with my mom so i gave her my moms name.

  16. biblical

  17. Esther is great name, she was an exceptional being, even at a point of giving up hope was given back

  18. We love the story about Esther in the Bible.
    Esther stood up for what was right even if her life was taken. She stood up for her people the (Jews) and in the end she was honored because of her dignity and honorable character.
    That’s what we are suppose to do as Christ’s fowllowers. Stand up for what is right even if it means standing alone.

  19. Named after my husband’s grandmothers, Esther on his mom’s side, and Elizabeth on his dad’s side. We would have tried to include my grandmother’s name too, but we couldn’t really think of a good way to use Barbara. Barbara Ann isn’t my favorite. So Esther Elizabeth it is, and I love the way it sounds.

  20. We named our daughter Esther. It is a name out of the bible from Queen Esther. It is one of my favourite stories in the bible. She was selfless and brave for risking her life to save her people. She was also kind and beautiful and the king adored her. A perfect name for a beautiful little daughter!


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