Nameling

Esther

Gender
Girl
Say it
ES-ter
Origin
Persian
UK rank, 2025
#154 for girls
US rank, 2025
#119 for girls

Vintage revival

Esther is a girls' name of Persian origin, meaning “star”. In 2025 it ranked 154th for girls in the UK (358 babies) and 119th for girls in the US (2,277 babies).

What does Esther mean?

Persian: probably Persian, via Hebrew

“star”

Jewish queen of Persia whose story is told in the Book of Esther and celebrated at Purim; her Hebrew name was Hadassah.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Esther a girl's or a boy's name?

Esther is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 358 girls in the UK and 2,277 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Esther in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#154among girls
Babies in 2025
358about 1 in 780 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 14% in five years
Same name in a class
1.8%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 358 girls in the UK were named Esther, making it the 154th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 175th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 395 girls.

It has been given to more girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more girls named Esther than any year since 2017.

Half of all the girls named Esther in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 378 girls in the UK were given Esther or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #169.

Among girls in 2025, it was 150th in England and Wales, 204th in Scotland and 259th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#76) and 1914 (#83).

1996Busiest: 395 in 20172025
Esther in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025358#154
2024357#155
2023353#164
2022321#175
2021322#177
2020321#175
2019288#192
2018327#182
2017395#157
2016388#158
2015370#165
2014389#162
2013353#169
2012355#163
2011389#156
2010350#170
2009310#191
2008387#159
2007363#171
2006360#167
2005310#188
2004299#181
2003249#207
2002209#234
2001232#198
2000231#205
1999241#203
1998243#195
1997238#208
1996238#197

How popular is Esther in the US?

Rank in 2025
#119among girls
Babies in 2025
2,277about 1 in 710 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 20% in five years
Same name in a class
2%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 2,277 girls in the US were named Esther, making it the 119th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 148th. Its busiest year was 1918, with 6,574 girls.

2025 had more girls named Esther than any year since 1935.

Half of all the girls named Esther in the US since 1880 were born between 1916 and 1966, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,411 girls in the US were given Esther or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #145.

1880Busiest: 6,574 in 19182025
Esther in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20252,277#119
20242,220#130
20232,026#138
20222,088#138
20211,847#153
20201,832#148
20191,732#165
20181,860#151
20171,836#165
20161,814#182
20151,625#203
20141,669#199
20131,440#222
20121,344#237
20111,356#233
20101,259#260
20091,254#260
20081,282#267
20071,261#272
20061,158#287
20051,203#272
20041,114#294
20031,103#283
20021,059#296
20011,072#293
2000982#323
1999994#310
1998941#321
1997935#315
1996890#317
1995924#300
1994958#287
1993907#299
1992948#291
1991935#298
1990983#283
1989903#289
1988913#276
1987849#288
1986861#284
1985859#288
1984884#271
1983860#273
1982935#267
1981913#272
1980842#295
1979766#312
1978716#320
1977767#310
1976658#336
1975716#320
1974728#314
1973746#312
1972691#332
1971785#332
1970726#348
1969707#337
1968730#322
1967761#314
1966869#290
1965966#280
19641,025#285
19631,123#263
19621,252#252
19611,317#237
19601,361#234
19591,356#234
19581,345#226
19571,480#217
19561,510#209
19551,569#201
19541,633#193
19531,613#192
19521,712#179
19511,808#169
19501,740#162
19491,793#161
19481,847#155
19471,842#162
19461,778#151
19451,467#160
19441,612#152
19431,758#151
19421,832#142
19411,810#138
19401,900#131
19392,110#117
19382,132#120
19372,156#116
19362,253#107
19352,542#94
19342,579#91
19332,676#88
19322,959#82
19313,034#79
19303,350#77
19293,587#71
19284,096#66
19274,327#64
19264,453#62
19254,726#56
19245,258#51
19235,315#47
19225,474#44
19215,926#42
19206,068#39
19196,248#38
19186,574#38
19176,281#38
19166,421#34
19156,321#33
19144,654#35
19134,090#32
19123,569#33
19112,676#34
19102,378#38
19092,185#37
19082,187#36
19072,062#37
19062,065#33
19051,993#34
19041,957#32
19031,883#34
19021,833#35
19011,844#33
19002,017#39
18991,823#29
18982,047#31
18971,911#28
18961,964#27
18951,803#31
18941,654#36
18931,382#39
1892824#67
1891710#66
1890619#75
1889553#75
1888572#77
1887431#79
1886396#85
1885320#92
1884291#99
1883260#99
1882266#97
1881189#105
1880198#104

Nicknames for Esther

Names like Esther

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Edith Elsie Nellie Annie Eva Ada Beatrice Clara Mabel Martha Olive Rose

Other spellings of Esther

Ester

Names related to Esther

Estera

More Persian names

Jasper Jasmine Casper Cyrus Yasmin Darius Zorawar Kiyan Rumi Yasmine Kasper Mahnoor Dario Arian Arman Armaan

Every Persian name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Esther: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/esther, updated 20 October 2026.