Esther
Top 1000
About Esther
Esther was derived from the Old Persian word stāra, meaning "star." In the Old Testament, Esther, originally named Hadassah, was the captured Jewish wife of the King of Persia who risked her life to save her exiled people from annihilation. This story is celebrated by Jews on the holiday of Purim, so that it has traditionally been given to girls around that time.
One of the major female figures in the Bible, quiet, studious Esther was in the Top 50 a hundred years ago and stayed in the Top 100 until 1935. It is now on the ascent again, appealing to parents—Ewan McGregor is one—seeking an underused biblical name with a strong history and serious image.
Judy Garland played two memorable Esthers--in Meet Me in St. Louis and A Star is Born; Esther Summerson is a main character in Dickens' Bleak House and Esther Greenwood is the autobiographical character's name in Sylvia Plath's A Bell Jar. Someone who glamorized the name is champion swimmer-turned-movie-star Esther Williams.
Madonna adopted Esther as her Kaballah name.
As of October 2026, Esther ranked #119 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #27 in 1896, Nameberry popularity #180.
Editor's take: The name Esther is a girl's name of Persian origin meaning "star".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #200 | 1,668 | 933.7 |
| 2015 | #203 | 1,624 | 909.8 |
| 2016 | #182 | 1,814 | 1,023.7 |
| 2017 | #165 | 1,836 | 1,063.4 |
| 2018 | #151 | 1,857 | 1,091.7 |
| 2019 | #165 | 1,731 | 1,031.4 |
| 2020 | #148 | 1,831 | 1,132.7 |
| 2021 | #153 | 1,845 | 1,124.4 |
| 2022 | #138 | 2,086 | 1,271.8 |
| 2023 | #138 | 2,026 | 1,262.6 |
| 2024 | #131 | 2,206 | 1,361.6 |
| 2025 | #119 | 2,277 | 1,416.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Esther.
- Theodora
- Sylvia
- Felicity
- Helena
- Dorothea
- Miriam
- Edith
- Rosemary
- Rosalind
- Ingrid
- Philippa
- Irene
- Agnes
- Ramona
- Beatrix
- Josephine
- Beatrice
- Cecily
- Tabitha
- Alma
Esther on lists
Famous Esthers
- Esther
Jewish Queen of Persia who saved her people; subject of the Biblical Book of Esther
- Esther Jane Williams
American swimmer and actress
- Esther Elizabeth Rolle
American actress
- Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer aka Ann Landers
American advice columnist
- Esther Armah
British playwright, radio host, and political commentator
- Esther Freud
English novelist
- Esther Hicks
American self,help author
- Esther Marjorie Hill
Canadian architect
- Esther Jones aka Baby Esther
American jazz singer; inspiration for Betty Boop
- Esther 'Essie' Davis
Australian actress
- Esther Grace Earl
American cancer activist; dedicatee of "The Fault in Our Stars"
- Esther Edwards Burr
diarist and mother of U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr
- Esther Lofgren
American rower
- Esther de Lange
Dutch MEP
- Esther Cardoso
Cuban actress
- Esther Ouwehand
Dutch MP
- Esther Eggertsen Peterson
American consumer advocate
- Esther Ralston
American silent,film actress
- Esther Louise Rantzen
English TV journalist
- Esther Ofarim
Israeli pop singer
- Esther Ople Rueher
American author
- Esther Sittler
French senator
- Esther Povitsky
American comedian of duo Esther & Benji
- Esther Schmucker
daughter of TV personalities Chester and Mary Schmucker of "Breaking Amish"
- Esther Rose McGregor (b. 2001)
daughter of Ewan McGregor
- Esther Malone (b. 2010)
daughter of choirmaster and TV personality Gareth Malone
- Esther Testud (b. 2011)
daughter of actress Sylvie Testud
- Esther Ballantine Hawkins (b. 2015)
daughter of singer Sophie B. Hawkins
Esther in pop culture
- Esther
twelfth book in the Bible
- Esther Drummond
character on TV's "Torchwood"
- Esther Summerson
character in Charles Dickens' "Bleak "House"
- Esther Smith
character in movie "Meet Me in St. Louis
- Esther
AKA Leena Klammer, character in movie "Orphan"
- Esther Mikaelson
witch on TV's "Vampire Diaries" & "The Originals"
- Esther Blodgett
character in "A Star is Born" who becomes Vicki Lester
- Esther Greenwood
main character in "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
- Esther Clavin
Cliff's mother on TV's "Cheers"
- Esther Bloom
character British soap "Hollyoaks"
- Esther
character in "Star of Babylon" by Barbara Wood
- Esther Litt Edelstein
character on "Suits"
- Esther
character in the "Lights Out" movies
- Porpentina Esther "Tina" Goldstein
character in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
- Esther Walton
Grandma on TV show "The Waltons"
Variations & nicknames
- EstéeFrench
- EstzerSlavic
- EsterSlavic
- EszterSlavic
- EistirIrish
- EsztiSlavic
More nicknames
- Star
- Starr
- Essie