Esther
Esther is a girls' name of Hebrew origin meaning “star; hidden.” It ranked #119 in the United States in 2025. From the Hebrew Esther, possibly meaning hidden or star, or from the Persian Stara meaning star.
how do you pronounce Esther?
ES-ter
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what does Esther mean?
The name Esther means “star; hidden.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
From the Hebrew Esther, possibly meaning hidden or star, or from the Persian Stara meaning star. The biblical Esther was a Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people from persecution.
where does the name Esther come from?
From the Hebrew Ester, by way of the Greek Esther. The sources offer two derivations and settle on neither: a connection to an Indo-European word for star, which would make it distantly related to the Persian setâre, or a connection to Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess. Both are given as possibilities.
the history of Esther
Esther is the queen of the Book of Esther, whose intervention with the Persian king averts the destruction of the Jews — the events the festival of Purim commemorates. The book is notable for never mentioning God directly, and the name's own possible link to a foreign goddess sits oddly alongside that.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #119 |
| 2024 | #130 |
| 2023 | #138 |
| 2022 | #138 |
| 2021 | #153 |
| 2020 | #148 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Esther?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Esther?
- Esther Williams
- Esther Dyson
- Queen Esther (biblical)
what names are similar to Esther?
what names go well with Esther?
Sibling names that share Esther's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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