What Does the Name Esther Mean?

Esther is a girl's name of Hebrew (possibly Persian) origin meaning “Star (or "myrtle").”

Updated June 2026

Name	Esther
Gender	female
Origin	Hebrew (possibly Persian)
Meaning	Star (or "myrtle")
Variants	Ester, Esta, Hester, Hadassah
Popularity	Used worldwide; especially traditional in Jewish communities and steadily popular in the US and France.

The meaning and origin of Esther

The name Esther means “Star (or "myrtle")” and has Hebrew (possibly Persian) origins. The name of the biblical queen of Persia; likely from Old Persian stara ("star") or linked to the goddess Ishtar, and associated in Hebrew with hadassah ("myrtle"). It remains a major name in Jewish tradition.

Variants and related names

Esther is related to several other names you may recognize: Ester, Esta, Hester, Hadassah. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Esther?

Used worldwide; especially traditional in Jewish communities and steadily popular in the US and France.

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