Hester
Girl name · 3 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Hester: 3 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 3 births in 1997.
The name Hester is an English variant of Esther, derived from the Persian word for "star" and linked to the ancient goddess Ishtar. It was popular among Puritans and 17th-century Scots, partly due to the biblical Queen Esther, though Hester itself does not appear in scripture. The most famous bearer is Hester Prynne, the resilient heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s *The Scarlet Letter*, a symbol of strength and defiance. Historically, Hester Thrale was a noted 18th-century diarist and patron of Samuel Johnson. While no major place bears the name, Hester is sometimes seen in Scottish parish records as a modest classic. A notable variant is the Irish spelling Hesther; the name also echoes the Dutch Heester, meaning "shrub," though this connection is coincidental.
Girl 1 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 19973 babies
- Latest (1997)
- #6533 babies
- Total births
- 3since 1997
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y