Girl's name
Esther
Say it ES-ter
Persian origin star
2 syllables
Where Esther is loved, common and rare
Loved in Israel. Common across Sweden and two more places. Rare in four German cities, the UK, Canada and eight more places.
1 in 761 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
Israel 7thSweden 59thEngland and Wales 150th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 22 of the 40 official lists, among them Israel (7th), Sweden (59th) and England and Wales (150th).
Show all 22 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel אסתר | 7th 2024 | 1,022 | about 1 in 77 |
| Sweden | 59th 2025 | 167 | about 1 in 241 |
| New Zealand | 91st 2025 | 41 | rank only |
| England and Wales | 150th 2025 | 333 | 1 in 761 |
| Quebec province | 179th 2025 | 32 | about 1 in 813 |
| Norway | 181st 2025 | 26 | 1 in 838 |
| Austria | 183rd 2025 | 33 | 1 in 1,082 |
| Berlin city | 185th 2023 | 16 | about 1 in 906 |
| Ontario province | 204th 2024 | 58 | about 1 in 939 |
| Scotland | 204th 2025 | 19 | 1 in 942 |
| Ireland | 207th 2025 | 21 | 1 in 1,006 |
| British Columbia province | 240th 2023 | 13 | about 1 in 920 |
| Northern Ireland | 259th 2025 | 6 | 1 in 1,214 |
| Switzerland | 277th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 1,360 |
| France | 278th 2025 | 195 | 1 in 1,471 |
| Catalonia region | 286th 2025 | 12 | 1 in 1,606 |
| The Netherlands | 367th 2025 | 38 | about 1 in 1,606 |
| Italy | 497th 2024 | 25 | 1 in 7,167 |
| Denmark | 15th 2025 | 339 | rank only |
| Leipzig city | 107th 2025 | 5 | about 1 in 525 |
| Rostock city | 166th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 985 |
| Bonn city | 173rd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 1,005 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Munich, Cologne, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Statistics Denmark (DST) (Denmark); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
In the Bible, Esther is the Jewish queen of Persia whose story is told in the Book of Esther. The name reached English through Greek from Biblical Hebrew ʾestēr, and it has been connected with an Old Persian word for 'star'.
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Two syllables, ES-ter, with a silent h. Hester is a related English form, Ester and Eszter are spellings used in other languages, and Esta is a short variant.
Esther is a top-ten name in Israel and ranks high in Denmark, and it is used in Sweden, New Zealand and England and Wales. The French records place its peak in 2005, and it is rising in ten places while falling in only one.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- ES-ter, 2 syllables
- Meaning
star
- Origin
- Persian
- Other spellings
- Ester
- Eszter
- Estera
- Hester
- Esteri
- Esfir
- Estere
- Esta
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Ἐσθήρ (Esthḗr), from Biblical Hebrew אֶסְתֵּר (ʾestēr). Has been connected to Old Persian 𐎠𐎿𐎫𐎼 (a-s-t-r /star-/, “star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr, or else to Akkadian 𒀭𒈹 (Ištar, “Ishtar”).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 10 of 21 regions, falling in 1.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 146 | 141 | 173 | 180 | 167 | 166 | 160 | 146 | 145 | 150 |
| Scotland | 303 | 327 | 324 | 304 | 209 | 316 | 324 | 250 | 260 | 204 |
| Northern Ireland | 355 | 361 | 418 | 259 | ||||||
| Ireland | 335 | 316 | 387 | 457 | 246 | 284 | 222 | 247 | 307 | 207 |
| Ontario | 199 | 241 | 197 | 234 | 210 | 255 | 214 | 183 | 204 | |
| British Columbia | 155 | 214 | 179 | 246 | 248 | 352 | 170 | 240 | ||
| South Australia | 55 | 85 | 79 | 80 | 86 | |||||
| New Zealand | 97 | 93 | 93 | 79 | 88 | 91 | ||||
| Quebec | 334 | 252 | 177 | 207 | 178 | 186 | 169 | 164 | 168 | 179 |
| France | 267 | 270 | 297 | 280 | 284 | 315 | 282 | 287 | 296 | 278 |
| The Netherlands | 245 | 227 | 260 | 278 | 288 | 343 | 343 | 313 | 367 | |
| Austria | 282 | 270 | 286 | 235 | 319 | 196 | 257 | 224 | 263 | 183 |
| Switzerland | 471 | 546 | 567 | 574 | 496 | 737 | 444 | 457 | 707 | 277 |
| Berlin | 310 | 345 | 287 | 255 | 232 | 206 | 260 | 185 | ||
| Munich | 232 | 206 | 238 | 217 | 172 | |||||
| Cologne | 276 | 288 | 299 | 684 | 251 | 435 | 643 | |||
| Bonn | 220 | 365 | 359 | 371 | 357 | 419 | 392 | 380 | 115 | 173 |
| Leipzig | 152 | 193 | 148 | 186 | 191 | 201 | 157 | 215 | 107 | |
| Rostock | 184 | 228 | 202 | 122 | 105 | 68 | 166 | |||
| Norway | 167 | 211 | 186 | 178 | 230 | 204 | 193 | 178 | 195 | 181 |
| Sweden | 80 | 76 | 68 | 51 | 73 | 72 | 57 | 50 | 49 | 59 |
| Denmark | 24 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 15 |
| Catalonia | 273 | 347 | 280 | 346 | 291 | 297 | 390 | 520 | 522 | 286 |
| Italy | 451 | 439 | 437 | 483 | 478 | 497 | ||||
| Israel | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 150 | 333 | 131.5 |
| 2024 | 145 | 343 | 133.0 |
| 2023 | 146 | 338 | 131.7 |
| 2022 | 160 | 308 | 116.9 |
| 2021 | 166 | 311 | 113.5 |
| 2020 | 167 | 303 | 112.9 |
| 2019 | 180 | 276 | 98.6 |
| 2018 | 173 | 312 | 108.2 |
| 2017 | 141 | 380 | 127.1 |
| 2016 | 146 | 375 | 122.1 |
| 2015 | 154 | 352 | 114.3 |
| 2014 | 152 | 361 | 117.7 |
| 2013 | 157 | 329 | 106.7 |
| 2012 | 156 | 342 | 106.2 |
| 2011 | 148 | 368 | 114.5 |
| 2010 | 156 | 334 | 104.0 |
| 2009 | 182 | 292 | 93.2 |
| 2008 | 146 | 369 | 116.9 |
| 2007 | 156 | 348 | 113.7 |
| 2006 | 152 | 344 | 115.0 |
| 2005 | 173 | 295 | 102.3 |
| 2004 | 176 | 283 | 99.0 |
| 2003 | 194 | 239 | 85.8 |
| 2002 | 217 | 198 | 74.1 |
| 2001 | 187 | 219 | 81.7 |
| 2000 | 192 | 221 | 80.9 |
| 1999 | 185 | 239 | 84.8 |
| 1998 | 182 | 236 | 81.6 |
| 1997 | 194 | 225 | 76.7 |
| 1996 | 191 | 231 | 78.0 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Esther in France since 1925 were born in or after 1994. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2005, at 88.9 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Esther per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2005 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Esther
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Esther. Same first letter as Esther.
1 in 1,193 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Esther.
1 in 240 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Esther.
1 in 515 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Esther.
1 in 778 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Esther.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Esther.
1 in 660 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Esther.
1 in 271 in Ireland
1 in 1,921 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Esther.
1 in 898 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Esther.
Middle names for Esther
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Esther Grace
2-1 beats · initials EG
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Esther Olivia
2-4 beats · initials EO · Esther slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Esther slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Esther Sophia
2-3 beats · initials ES
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Esther Maria
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Esther Rose
2-1 beats · initials ER
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Esther Julia
2-3 beats · initials EJ
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Esther Miriam
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Esther Emily
2-3 beats · initials EE · Esther slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Esther: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Esther slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Same style as Esther
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 271 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
1 in 1,243 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
1 in 405 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
1 in 166 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
1 in 197 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
93% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
1 in 577 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Esther across countries and decades.
Famous people named Esther
Esther Duflo, Esther Williams, Esther Brand, Esther Lederberg, Esther Vilar, Esther Vergeer, Esther Rolle and Esther Ofarim.
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French-American economist (born 1972)
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American swimmer, actress and singer (1921–2013)
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South African former athlete (1922–2015)
-
American microbiologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics (1922–2006)
-
Argentine writer born 1935
-
Dutch wheelchair tennis player born 1981
-
Actress (1920-1998)
-
Israeli singer born 1941
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Esther
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Esther?
Her best rank is No. 7 in Israel in 2024, about 1 in 77 girls. She is in the published lists of 22 of our 40 regions.
What does Esther mean?
Wiktionary glosses Esther as "star".
How do you pronounce Esther?
ES-ter, with 2 syllables.
Is Esther getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 10 of 21 regions, falling in 1.
Which sister names go with Esther?
The deck's top five sisters for Esther: Elise, Leila, Leah, Laura and Melody. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.