Ester
Ester was the 1574th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 134 babies. Its best year was 1905, when it ranked 368th; the most babies were born in 1925 (281). Over the last ten years it has moved up 268 places. More babies were named Ester in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Esther) Meaning disputed · Persian, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #1,574 girls, up 84 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 134girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1925281 babies
- Total since 1880
- 17,156babies recorded
What does the name Ester mean?
Ester is a spelling of Esther, pronounced the same way, so it shares Esther's meaning and origin.
Esther is the Jewish heroine of the biblical book of Esther, who becomes queen of Persia and saves her people. The book says her Hebrew name was Hadassah, 'myrtle'. The origin of Esther itself is disputed: DMNES gives either a Persian word for 'star' or the name of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, and Wiktionary and Wikipedia mention the Persian 'star' link. Wikipedia also notes a traditional reading from a Hebrew root meaning 'to hide'. DMNES says the name came into Christian use among 16th-century Protestants.
אֶסְתֵּר (Biblical Hebrew, “Ester”)*star- (Old Persian, “star (proposed)”)הֲדַסָּה (Biblical Hebrew, “Hadassah, myrtle”)
How sure is this? Disputed. DMNES: Persian 'star' or the goddess name Ishtar. The Hebrew 'hidden' reading is traditional wordplay.
Related names: Hester, Ester, Hadassah, Essie, Estée.
See also: Persian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Esther', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Esther 2:7, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Esther', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Esther (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Ester popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 891 since 1888.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,574 | 134 |
| 2020 | #1,658 | 124 |
| 2010 | #1,748 | 119 |
| 2000 | #1,720 | 102 |
| 1990 | #2,014 | 67 |
| 1980 | #1,614 | 72 |
| 1970 | #1,250 | 89 |
| 1960 | #825 | 160 |
| 1950 | #646 | 177 |
| 1940 | #562 | 152 |
| 1930 | #482 | 193 |
| 1920 | #447 | 226 |
| 1910 | #411 | 92 |
| 1900 | #391 | 72 |
| 1890 | #527 | 25 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ester, counting every spelling?
Ester is a spelling of Esther, a name family that ranked #137 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,574 for Ester on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,411 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esther | 2,277 | #119 | 10,458 |
| Ester | 134 | #1,574 | 718 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ester?
134 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ester (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ester born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 63 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ester.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ester?
About 8,700 people born in the US named Ester are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 18 and 69. That makes Ester mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ester by state
How common Ester was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (3.5×), New Jersey (2.3×), New York (2.3×), Washington (2.1×). In 34 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ester: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ester, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ester
What does Ester mean?
The meaning of Esther is disputed: DMNES: Persian 'star' or the goddess name Ishtar. The Hebrew 'hidden' reading is traditional wordplay.
How popular is the name Ester?
Ester was the 1574th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 134 babies. Its best year was 1905, when it ranked 368th; the most babies were born in 1925 (281). Over the last ten years it has moved up 268 places. More babies were named Ester in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ester a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ester in the US.
Where is Ester most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ester was most common in Massachusetts (0.31 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Jersey and New York.