Esther

The name Esther is of biblical origin. The wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus has this name. According to the first (of the Bible) version, the name Esther was not given to her from birth, but appeared when she became the Persian queen. Therefore, literally the name Esther is translated as “hide”, “be hidden”, “be secretive”. Since the description in the Bible indicated such a character trait of Esther as modesty, the name is also interpreted as “modest”.

According to the second version, the name appeared from the ancient Persian “setāra”, meaning “star”. By the next version, the name Esther appeared on behalf of the goddess Ishtar (Astarte), therefore it is interpreted as a “goddess”.

The name Esther is one of the few female names which masculine form appeared from the feminine. There is name Esterino among Italians that consider it as very rare. The accent in the name Esther can be on any syllable.

Depending on the interpretation, the name Esther will be close in meaning to various female names: “star” (Stella, Estella, Astra, Tara, Sitara), “Goddess” (Alana, Maya, Diana, Theone, Alla, Thea), “secretive”, “modest”, “meek” (Paula, Paulina).

The name Esther is used mainly in Europe and in the USA among Catholics, although it is absent in the Catholic calendar, it is mentioned only in Orthodox clergy.

The name Esther first appears in Europe during the Reformation, before which the usage of biblical names, if they were not worn by saints, was unusual. The two names were used in the English-speaking world - Esther and Hester, that were considered as interchangeable despite the a difference in pronunciation.

In those days it was common for a woman to be referred to as Esther in one document, and to be recorded as Hester in another. A similar concrete example is Esther Johnson, known as “Stella”, a friend of Jonathan Swift, whose baptismal record identifies her as Hester, but the woman has always signed herself as Esther.

A second historical example can be the beloved of Jonathan Swift, known under the pseudonym Vanessa - Esther Vanhomrigh. Addressing his letters to her, Swift sometimes wrote her name as Esther, and sometimes as Hester.

After 1900, the spelling of the name through “e” became the most frequent. It is possible that the reason of this was the birth of the Grover Cleveland’s (the president of the United States) daughter. She was born in the White House, this event was actively covered in the press. The name was recorded as Esther, and it was announced that it means “star”.

The name of Esther got its highest popularity in the United States in the first decade of the twentieth century, and then it began to lose its positions sharply, until it fell out of the top-200th rating. Currently the interest to the name is growing again, the name Esther is already 152nd. It continues to exist thanks to the alternate name spelling options as well (Ester, Aster, Esterina, Eszter, Hester). The diminutive forms Essie, Ettie, Esta have also become independent names.

There is a close semantic connection between the names Esther, Stella and Estella. It is likely that they may be related to each other.

The owner of the name Esther is a sociable and charming woman, pleasant in communication and well understanding of the interlocutor. Her interest in the conversation is genuine, she always listens carefully, sincerely wants to help.

Often cheerful, active, she can be a little moody and impatient. Esther is smart, knows how to adapt, deftly move away from slippery topics, knows how to critically look at the situation. A good memory helps her solve intellectual problems, learn foreign languages and speak well.

She knows how to use her charm and conviction to achieve her goals. This is especially noticeable in the childhood. Her emotionality is strongly influenced by her family. The girl’s imagination is great, and the variety of interests and tastes is innumerable. Esther has dreams of tops that she would like to achieve.

Therefore, she knows how to lead, command, her desire is embodied in professional ambitions, on which she will spend her energy and direct her will. The owner of the name Esther will be very pleased in being a center of gravity during the evening with her friends, where she will be a wonderful and smart hostess.Family life and motherhood are important for Esther as well as her personal ambitions. She can be divided and torn between her family and career in a profession chosen.

The professions in the field of trade, sales, public relations, media and advertising are more suitable for Esther. A career of a teacher, lawyer, writer, actress and translator is possible as the main skill here is an ability to talk. A consultancy or leadership positions in different fields (administrator, politician) can also attract her attention.

Famous people named Esther

• Esther Acebo (born in 1983) – a Spanish actress, presenter and reporter.
• Esther Perel (born in 1958) – a Belgian psychotherapist.
• Esther Ofarim (born in 1941) – an Israeli singer and actress.
• Esther Cañadas (born in 1977) – a Spanish model and actress.
• Esther Phillips (1935 - 1984, the real name is Esther Mae Jones) – an American singer in the style of blues, R&B, jazz and soul.
• Esther Yu (born in 1995, the real name is Yu Shuxin) – a Chinese actress and singer.
• Esther Smith (born in 1986) – an English actress.
• Esther Smith (born in 1937, the real name is Esther Jones) – an American gospel musician and artist.
• Esther Duflo (born in 1972) – a French economist, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA). Laureate of the Alfred Nobel Prize in Economics in 2019 for the “experimental approach to the fight against global poverty”.
• Esther Dyson (born in 1951) – an American entrepreneur, investor, writer and publicist, philanthropist and public figure. Member of the Yandex Board of Directors. Founder of Hiccup.

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