Esther
First Name Meaning, Usage, Popularity & Related Names
Esther is a Persian name meaning “star”. It is a popular name, overwhelmingly used for girls, with 99.99% female usage.
Meaning & Origin of the name Esther
Esther is a name of Persian origin typically interpreted as star. It is widely recognized through the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Tanakh, where the protagonist, a Jewish queen of Persia, saves her people. Etymologically, it is often linked to the Persian word stāra, identifying it with celestial light.
Meaning Comments
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Gender Usage of the Name Esther
Overall Gender Classification Methodology
Esther is overwhelmingly used as a name for girls. Approximately 99.99% of recorded bearers are female. This classification is supported by extensive records and is considered highly reliable.
Popularity of the Name Esther
Esther is among the Top 47 Trending Girls’ name in the United States for 2026
Note: Green bars show popularity (% of births); the violet line shows historical ranking. Data is based on official government birth records. Click any chart to view details by year and region.
Overall PopularityMethodology
Esther is listed under Popular Girl Names worldwide. Its popularity is relatively consistent across the available regional markets.
| Region | Popularity | Birth Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Popular | 1 in every 1.8K births |
| United Kingdom | Popular | 1 in every 2.1K births |
| Canada | Popular | 1 in every 2.3K births |
| Australia | Popular | 1 in every 10K births |
Ranking OverviewMethodology
Esther ranked #162 on the Popular Girls’ Names Worldwide List (2025). It rose from #171 in 2024 — an improvement of 9 places. Esther maintains a steady presence among commonly used names.
Historically, its best recorded position was #31 in 1913. Its lowest recorded position was #456 in 1970. Over recent years the ranking has shown little net change and remained relatively stable around #162.
Name StyleMethodology
Esther is classified as Timeless Girl Names because it appears across 100% of recorded years, averages 2,299 births per year over its full timeline, and still averages 2,565 births per year recently.Characteristics of the Name Esther
Pronunciation & StructureMethodology
- Phonetic Source
- CMU
- Syllables
- 2 syllables — Two-Syllable Girl Names
- Length
- 6 letters — Medium-Length Girl Names
- Starts with
- E — Girl Names Starting with E
- Ends with
- r — Girl Names Ending in “r”
Name AestheticMethodology
Esther features a two-syllable profile with a distinctive sibilant sound. The narrative of Queen Esther in biblical accounts provides the name with an Elegant & Timeless, royal character.
Middle Names For Esther
Middle names used with EstherMethodology
Esther is most frequently used with these girl middle names: Esther Marie · Esther Mae · Esther Louise · Esther Elizabeth · Esther RuthView all 707 girl middle names.
- Total 993 middle names used with Esther
- 48 boy middle names used with Esther
- 202 unisex middle names used with Esther
Middle name suggestions for EstherMethodology
Based on observed first-middle-name pattern combinations, Esther is most frequently associated with girl middle names that have Strong stress pattern, 5 letters, and a starting sound of “l”.
Examples: Esther Leigh · Esther Lynne · Esther Lynch · Esther Laine · Esther Leach. View all 82 suggested middle names.
Associations of the Name Esther
Biblical ReferencesMethodology
As one of the Biblical Girl Names, Esther appears 53 times throughout the Bible. Selected verses include:
- Old Testament - Esther (EST 2:7):
And he had been a father to Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his father's brother: for she had no father or mother, and she was very beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his daughter.
- Old Testament - Esther (EST 2:8):
So when the order made by the king was publicly given out, and a number of girls had been placed in the care of Hegai in the king's house in Shushan, Esther was taken into the king's house and put in the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women.
Natural Name MatchesMethodology
The complete dataset includes 1 biological record matching the name Esther. None belong to the curated biological families used to classify Flower-, Tree-, or Bird-Inspired Names. This record is provided for reference only.
Names Similar to Esther
Sound Like Esther Finder
Names with the exact same overall pronunciation and sound: Esthera · Esthere
Spelled Like Esther Finder
Names with similar spelling patterns and letter sequences: Esthera · Esthere · Esthel
Same Starting Sound Finder
Names that begin with a similar phonetic sound: Emily · Emma · Evelyn · View all Top 100 names
Rhymes With Esther Finder
Names that share similar ending sounds and rhymes: Jennifer · Heather · Amber · View all Top 100 names
Same Rhythm & Syllables Finder
Names with matching syllable stress and pronunciation rhythm: Mary · Linda · Sarah · View all Top 100 names
Dictionary & Etymology of “Esther”
Dictionary Meaning of "Esther"Methodology
A female given name from Persian
A book of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh
The heroine of the Book of Esther
Examples
- And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father or mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful.
Alternative Forms
Translations
The name Esther has 203 translations, for example: in Spanish it is rendered as book of the Bible, in French it is rendered as the heroine of the Book of Esther, etc..
More Info
How to Spell Esther in ASL
- E
- s
- t
- h
- e
- r
Comments on the name Esther
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