Hester Girl

Popularity: #943 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: HES-ter //ˈhɛstər//

Origin: Greek; Hebrew

Meaning: Greek: star; Hebrew: myrtle

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Hester has its roots in the ancient Persian word "setareh," meaning "star." This term was adopted into Greek as "Aster," which also translates to "star." The name further evolved through Latin as "Hester," and eventually made its way into Old French before being introduced into English. The transition into English occurred around the 16th century, where it became associated with the biblical figure Esther, a prominent character in the Hebrew Bible who is celebrated for her bravery and intelligence in saving her people from persecution.

Hester's historical significance is closely tied to the biblical Esther, who is the subject of the Book of Esther, a text that has been influential in Jewish tradition and is read during the festival of Purim. The name gained prominence in English literature, particularly during the Renaissance, when biblical names were favored.

Notably, Hester Prynne is a central character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter," published in 1850, which further cemented the name's place in literary history. Culturally, Hester has been associated with themes of strength, resilience, and moral integrity, largely due to the character of Esther in the Bible.

The name has also been linked to the idea of a guiding light or hope, akin to its etymological meaning of "star." Additionally, diminutive forms such as Hettie have emerged, reflecting a softer, affectionate variant of the name. Overall, Hester embodies a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution and cultural significance, rooted in ancient traditions and enduring narratives.

Famous people named Hester

In this section, you will find notable people named Hester. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Hester who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Hester who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Hester Prynne is a fictional character best known for The Scarlet Letter.

Hester Thrale is a writer and literary figure best known for her association with Samuel Johnson and her work Anecdotes of the Late Samuel Johnson.

Hester Street is a film best known for its portrayal of Jewish immigrant life in New York City.

Fictional characters named Hester

The following list of fictional characters named Hester is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Hester Prynne is a fictional character from the novel The Scarlet Letter. She is a woman shunned by her Puritan community after bearing an illegitimate child and is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' as a symbol of her sin.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Hester, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EstherHazelClaraMabelNoraLila

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Hester. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

HestiaEstherHeidiHarrietHildaHannahHelenaHolly

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Hester was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Hester has ranked as high as #583 nationally, which occurred in 1918, and has been most popular in North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Hester has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Hester is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Hester was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Hester.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 5 0 5
2023 5 0 5
2019 7 0 7
2010 5 0 5
2009 5 0 5
2004 5 0 5
2000 5 0 5
1998 5 0 5
1996 6 0 6
1994 7 0 7
1993 13 0 13
1991 8 0 8
1990 10 0 10
1989 10 0 10
1988 8 0 8
1987 18 0 18
1986 13 0 13
1985 14 0 14
1984 11 0 11
1983 14 0 14
1982 25 0 25
1981 25 0 25
1980 16 0 16
1979 29 0 29
1978 14 0 14
1977 17 0 17
1976 21 0 21
1975 21 0 21
1974 27 0 27
1973 29 0 29
1972 19 0 19
1971 30 0 30
1970 37 5 32
1969 25 0 25
1968 29 0 29
1967 27 0 27
1966 27 0 27
1965 19 0 19
1964 42 0 42
1963 46 0 46
1962 39 0 39
1961 47 0 47
1960 47 0 47
1959 59 0 59
1958 58 0 58
1957 61 0 61
1956 64 0 64
1955 86 6 80
1954 91 5 86
1953 98 6 92
1952 81 0 81
1951 72 0 72
1950 106 5 101
1949 112 11 101
1948 91 0 91
1947 118 6 112
1946 94 7 87
1945 107 7 100
1944 132 9 123
1943 140 8 132
1942 120 0 120
1941 125 8 117
1940 145 13 132
1939 117 0 117
1938 150 14 136
1937 127 7 120
1936 158 10 148
1935 139 5 134
1934 179 19 160
1933 170 13 157
1932 167 14 153
1931 198 14 184
1930 226 12 214
1929 235 15 220
1928 225 7 218
1927 272 10 262
1926 287 13 274
1925 346 21 325
1924 330 13 317
1923 398 16 382
1922 352 12 340
1921 355 18 337
1920 380 18 362
1919 379 19 360
1918 407 13 394
1917 370 12 358
1916 402 24 378
1915 380 21 359
1914 318 9 309
1913 291 16 275
1912 273 8 265
1911 208 7 201
1910 221 9 212
1909 184 5 179
1908 190 6 184
1907 164 5 159
1906 158 0 158
1905 160 0 160
1904 175 6 169
1903 147 0 147
1902 164 0 164
1901 166 6 160
1900 192 9 183
1899 153 5 148
1898 163 5 158
1897 140 0 140
1896 150 0 150
1895 164 0 164
1894 143 0 143
1893 160 5 155
1892 122 0 122
1891 102 0 102
1890 119 0 119
1889 109 0 109
1888 113 0 113
1887 89 0 89
1886 76 0 76
1885 85 0 85
1884 85 0 85
1883 72 0 72
1882 63 0 63
1881 55 0 55
1880 49 0 49

Top States for Hester (1987)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 5
100%