Esther
Borne by the heroine of the biblical book named for her. The name is usually traced to a Persian word for star, though a link to the goddess Ishtar has also been proposed.
Esther in 2025
Esther was given to 2,277 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 290th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,456 babies born.
The history of Esther
Esther reached its highest point in 1918, when 6,588 babies were given the name, ranking 69th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 40th, in 1897.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 272,206 babies have been named Esther. Half of them were born before 1929, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Esther by decade
| Decade | Babies named Esther | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,476 | 110 |
| 1890s | 14,796 | 40 |
| 1900s | 20,097 | 44 |
| 1910s | 49,367 | 47 |
| 1920s | 49,420 | 75 |
| 1930s | 25,987 | 134 |
| 1940s | 17,731 | 243 |
| 1950s | 15,808 | 317 |
| 1960s | 10,139 | 441 |
| 1970s | 7,318 | 568 |
| 1980s | 8,884 | 509 |
| 1990s | 9,447 | 552 |
| 2000s | 11,488 | 540 |
| 2010s | 15,948 | 372 |
| 2020s | 12,300 | 290 |
Where Esther is heading
Esther has risen 40% over the past decade, from 1,625 babies in 2015 to 2,277 in 2025.
Names like Esther
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Esther.