Esther at a glance
- Meaning
- “star”
- Gender
- Girl
- Origin
- Persian
- Pronunciation
- ES-tur
- Nicknames
- Essie, Etty
- Other forms
- Ester, Hester, Eszter
Where the name Esther comes from
Esther is the brave Jewish queen of Persia in the Old Testament book named after her. The name is probably from a Persian word for star, though some link it with the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. English Puritans used it from the 17th century, sometimes in the form Hester.