Esther (given name)

Esther

The Biblical Queen Esther depicted in a portrait by John Everett Millais.
Gender Female
Origin
Word/Name Persian
Meaning "star"

Esther is a feminine given name. It may derive from the Old Persian stāra (NPer. ستاره - setāra, meaning "star") or - more likely - from the name of the Babylonian goddess of love, Ištar (cf. Mordecai <--> Marduk). It was adopted as an English name in the 17th Century.[1] The Biblical Queen Esther is associated with the Hebrew word ḥadaṣah ("myrtle").

The name was the sixth most popular name that white mothers gave to baby girls born in New York City in 2006.[2] It has remained a popular name in some Jewish communities there.

Contents

Variant forms

Alternate forms of Esther are:

As a given name

Middle name

Derivative name

See also: Ester and Hettie

As a surname

Places

Notes

  1. ^ Behind the Name
  2. ^ New York City Health Department. "What's in a Name? Health Department Releases New York City’s Most Popular Baby Names For 2006"