Esther ( he, אֶסְתֵּר) is a

female Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females a ...

given name known from the

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

queen

Esther Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chose ...

, eponymous

heroine A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''hero ...

of the ''

Book of Esther The Book of Esther ( he, מְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר, Megillat Esther), also known in Hebrew as "the Scroll" ("the Megillah"), is a book in the third section (, "Writings") of the Jewish ''Tanakh'' (the Hebrew Bible). It is one of the fi ...

''. According to the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

, queen Esther was born with the name Hadassah ("Myrtle"). Her name was changed to Esther to hide her identity upon becoming queen of Persia. The three letter root of Esther in Hebrew is ''s-t-r'' (), "hide, conceal". The passive infinitive is (), "to be hidden". The name can be derived from the

Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native speakers as ( ...

''stāra'' ( NPer. ''setāra'', meaning "

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth make ...

") although some scholars identify Esther with the name of the

Babylonian Babylonian may refer to: * Babylon, a Semitic Akkadian city/state of ancient Mesopotamia founded in 1894 BC * Babylonia, an ancient Akkadian-speaking Semitic nation-state and cultural region based in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) ...

goddess of love ''

Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in S ...

'', given its association with the

planet Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

(in its role as the Morning Star and the Evening star (see also the

Star of Ishtar The Star of Ishtar or Star of Inanna is a Mesopotamian symbol of the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna and her East Semitic counterpart Ishtar. The owl was also one of Ishtar's primary symbols. Ishtar is mostly associated with the planet Venus, w ...

)).

History of usage

Esther first occurs as a given name in Europe and the British Isles at the time of the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

prior to which the occurrence of Biblical names – unless borne by saints – was unusual. The modified form Hester has seemingly co-existed with the original Esther throughout the name's usage in the English-speaking world, where despite a theoretic slight pronunciative difference Esther and Hester were long largely – perhaps totally – interchangeable, with it being routine for a woman cited as Esther in one document to be elsewhere documented as Hester. One specific example of this is

Esther Johnson Esther Johnson (13 March 1681 – 28 January 1728) was the English friend of Jonathan Swift, known as "Stella". Whether or not she and Swift were secretly married, and if so why the marriage was never made public, is a subject of debate. Par ...

, the "Stella" of

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, ...

, whose baptismal record identifies her as Hester but who always signed herself Esther. Similarly Swift wrote letters to his "Vanessa":

Esther Vanhomrigh Esther Vanhomrigh or Van Homrigh (known by the pseudonym Vanessa; c. 1688 – 2 June 1723), an Irish woman of Dutch descent, was a longtime lover and correspondent of Jonathan Swift. Swift's letters to her were published after her death. Her ...

, in which Swift sometimes wrote her first name in the respective address as Esther and sometimes as Hester. The commonality usage of Esther and Hester had essentially been phased out by 1900 with Esther retaining a high usage profile especially in North America whereas the usage of Hester has shown a progressive decline. The 9 September 1893 birth of

Esther Cleveland Esther Cleveland (September 9, 1893 – June 25, 1980) was the second child of Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President of the United States, and his wife Frances Folsom Cleveland. Biography She was born on September 9, 1893, in the White House ...

, daughter of US president

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

, was heavily publicized as the first birth of a presidential child in the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

with the press announcements of her name stating it meant "star". The 1891 birth of Cleveland's first daughter, also Biblically named being christened

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

, had caused a media sensation and boosted Ruth into the Top Ten of American girl's names, and while the public endorsement of Esther as the choice of name for Cleveland's second daughter was more muted the name Esther did reach its all-time zenith of US popularity soon after Esther Cleveland's 1893 birth, Esther being ranked as the #27 most popular name for American girls for the year 1896. It has been a well-used name for

Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...

baby girls born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

in 2006, Esther has remained a favored name in some

communities. It has also increased in usage along with other Biblical names for babies born during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

by parents seeking comfort in their religious faith.

International variants

Alternate forms of Esther are: *Eistir (

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

) *Eseza (

Luganda The Ganda language or Luganda (, , ) is a Bantu language spoken in the African Great Lakes region. It is one of the major languages in Uganda and is spoken by more than 10 million Baganda and other people principally in central Uganda including ...

) *Esita (

) *

Essi Essi is a Finnish first name. Essi is an abbreviation from Persian name '' Esther'', which means star. As of May 2010, the name Essi has been given to 6507 people, one of whom was a man.https://192.49.222.187/Nimipalvelu/default.asp?L=1 Famous ...

( Finnish) * Essie (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

) *Essy (Australian) * Esta (English) *Estée ( French) *

Ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ...

(

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid ...

), (

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places *Czech, ...

), ( Finnish), (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

), (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Port ...

), (

North Germanic languages The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages—a sub-family of the Indo-European languages—along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages. The language group is also ...

), (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

), (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

) *Estera (

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

), ( Slovak), (

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

), (

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Je ...

) *Estere (

Latvian Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language, also referred to as Lettish **Latvian cuisine **Latvi ...

) *Esteri ( Finnish) *Εσθήρ (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

) *

Eszter Eszter is a female Hungarian given name of Hebrew origin (from Esther) and may refer to: *Eszter Balint (born 1966), singer, violinist, and actress *Eszter Csákányi (born 1953), Hungarian actress * Eszter Hargittai (born 1973), communication ...

( Hungarian) *Eszti ( Hungarian) *

Ettie Etty, Ettie or Etti is a feminine given name, often a short version of Esther or Elizabeth. It is also a surname. It may refer to the following people: Given name * Etti Ankri (born 1963), Israeli singer-songwriter * Etty Darwin (1843 ��1927), edi ...

(English) *

Etty Etty, Ettie or Etti is a feminine given name, often a short version of Esther or Elizabeth. It is also a surname. It may refer to the following people: Given name * Etti Ankri (born 1963), Israeli singer-songwriter * Etty Darwin (1843 ��1927), edi ...

(English) * Hester (English) * Hettie (English) *Inana ( Sumerian) * (''ʾAstīr'')

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

* (Esther), the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

and Israeli version of the name. Also Esti and Eti. * (''Setare'') (

) * (''Jestira'') ( Serbian) * (''Esfir'') (

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

) *Esitere (

Chichewa Chewa (also known as Nyanja, ) is a Bantu language spoken in much of Southern, Southeast and East Africa, namely the countries of Malawi , where it is an official language, and Mozambique and Zambia. The noun class prefix ''chi-'' is used for l ...

)

Esther

Esther Abrahams Esther Abrahams (born c. 1767 or 1771 – died 26 August 1846) was a Londoner sent to Australia as a convict on the First Fleet. She was de facto wife of George Johnston, who was for six months acting Governor of New South Wales after leading ...

Esther Aghatise Esther Aghatise (born 15 April 1985) is a Nigerian long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the trip ...

Esther Saville Allen Esther Saville Allen (, Saville; pen names, Winnie Woodbine, Etta Saville, Mrs. S. R. Allen; December 11, 1837 - July 16, 1913) was an American author of the long nineteenth century. In her day, Allen was probably the author of more works, both in ...

* Esther Anderson *

Esther E. Baldwin Esther E. Baldwin (, Jerman; pen name, Mrs. S. L. Baldwin; November 8, 1840 – February 26, 1910) was an American missionary, teacher, translator, writer, and editor of the long nineteenth century. Known as "Chinese Champion", she understood the r ...

Esther Baxter Esther Baxter (born September 24, 1984) is an American model and actress. Biography Baxter rose to prominence after being featured in the music video for Petey Pablo's single "Freek-a-Leek" in 2004. Since then, she has appeared in several music ...

* Esther Béjarano *

Esther Bell Esther Bell is an American film producer, director, screenwriter, social activist, and community entrepreneur. Her two feature films, ''Godass'' and ''Exist'', received critical acclaim in ''The New York Times'' and ''Variety'' for their tones of ...

* Esther Benbassa *

Esther de Berdt Esther de Berdt Reed (October 22, 1746 – September 18, 1780) was active in the American Revolutionary War as a civic leader for soldiers' relief, who formed and led the Ladies Association of Philadelphia to provide aid for George Washington's tro ...

Esther Blake Esther McGowin Blake (1897–1979) was the first woman in the United States Air Force. She enlisted on the first minute of the first hour of the first day regular U.S. Air Force duty was authorized for women on July 8, 1948.Women of the U.S. Air ...

Esther Barbara Bloemart Esther Barbara Bloemart, also known as Esther Barbara von Sandrart (1651 – 1733) was a German art collector. Biography Esther Barbara Bloemart was born on 7 June 1651 in Germany. Her father was banker Wilhelm Bloemart and her mother was Ann ...

Esther Boise van Deman Esther Boise Van Deman (October 1, 1862 – 3 May 1937) was a leading archaeologist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She developed techniques that allowed her to estimate the building dates of ancient buildings in Rome. Life Esther ...

Esther Brand Esther Cornelia Brand (née van Heerden; 29 September 1922 – 20 June 2015) was a South African athlete. She competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in the high jump, placed 20th in the discus throw. She was the first Afric ...

* Esther Brandeau *

Esther Brann Esther Brann (July 21, 1899 – January 3, 1998) was an American children’s writer of children's literature and illustrator. Education Brann was born in New York City. She attended the Art Students League of New York, Cooper Union, the Natio ...

Esther Brimmer Esther Diane Brimmer (born 1961) is an American foreign policy expert and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. In June 2013, she left her post as Assistant Secretary and returned to academia. In January 201 ...

Esther Bubley Esther Bubley (February 16, 1921 – March 16, 1998) was an American photographer who specialized in expressive photos of ordinary people in everyday lives. She worked for several agencies of the American government and her work also featured in s ...

Esther Cailingold Esther Cailingold (1925–1948) was a British-born schoolteacher of Polish extraction, who fought with the Jewish forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and died of wounds received in the battle for the Old City of Jerusalem. She is commemorat ...

Esther Cañadas Esther Cañadas (; born 1 March 1977, in Albacete) is a Spanish model and actress. Career Originally, Cañadas wanted to pursue a career as a criminologist, but her mother persuaded her to give modeling a try. In her teens she started working a ...

Esther Cardoso Esther Cardoso is a Cuban film and theater actress, producer, director and educator. Biography Cardoso was a professor of literature at Central University of Las Villas. In 1977, she went to the Instituto Superior de Arte. She holds a doctorate ...

Esther Clark Wright Esther Isabelle Clark Wright, (1895 – June 17, 1990) was a notable Atlantic Canadian historian who at the end of her life received the Order of Canada for her lifetime contributions to Canadian scholarship. She published many works in relati ...

Esther Clayson Esther Pohl Lovejoy ( Clayson; November 16, 1869 – August 31, 1967) was an American physician and public health pioneer, suffrage activist, United States Congress, congressional candidate, and a central figure in early efforts to organize i ...

Esther Dankwah Esther Dankwah (born June 25, 1982) is a Ghanaian sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. She lives in the Netherlands since 2003. She won the bronze medal with the African 4 x 100 metres relay team at the 2006 IAAF World Cup. With the Ghanai ...

Esther David Esther David (born 17 March 1945) is an Indian Jewish author, an artist and a sculptor. She is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award. Early life She was born into a Bene Israel Jewish family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She won Sahitya Akadem ...

* Esther Dean * Esther Delisle *

Esther Duflo Esther Duflo, FBA (; born 25 October 1972) is a French–American economist who is a professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is the co-founder and co-director of the Abd ...

Esther Dyson Esther Dyson (born 14 July 1951) is a Swiss-born American investor, journalist, author, commentator and philanthropist. She is the executive founder of Wellville, a nonprofit project focused on improving equitable wellbeing. Dyson is also an an ...

Esther Earl Esther Grace Earl (August 3, 1994 – August 25, 2010) was an American author, internet vlogger, online personality and Nerdfighter, as well as an activist in the Harry Potter Alliance. Prior to her death from cancer in 2010, Earl befriended aut ...

, after whom ''Esther Day'' was named *

Esther Edwards (disambiguation) Esther Edwards can refer to: * Esther Edwards Burr (1732–1758), wife of Aaron Burr, Sr. and mother of Aaron Burr, Jr. *Esther Edwards Conner (1875–1943), mother of Bolivar Edwards Kemp, Jr. *Esther Gordy Edwards Esther Gordy Edwards (née Gord ...

Esther Erlich Esther Erlich (born 1955) is a Melbourne-based Australian artist who has been exhibiting since 1985. She won the 1998 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize with her painting, "Gaunt and Glorious" a portrait of Steve Moneghetti. In 2000 Esther won the ...

* Esther Farbstein *

Esther Fernández María Esther Fernández González (23 August 1915 – 21 October 1999) was a Mexican actress. Life and career Esther Fernández began her career as an extra in the film '' La Mujer del Puerto'' (1934). Her first starring role was in the early ho ...

* Esther Ferrer *

Esther Fischer-Homberger Esther Fischer-Homberger (15 May 1940 – 21 March 2019) was a Swiss psychiatrist and medical historian. Her research focused on the history of psychiatry, psychosomatics and forensic medicine as well as the medical history of women. Biography Es ...

Esther Forbes Esther Louise Forbes (; June 28, 1891 – August 12, 1967) was an American novelist, historian and children's writer who received the Pulitzer Prize and the Newbery Medal. She was the first woman elected to membership in the American Antiquar ...

* Esther G. Frame *

Esther Freud Esther Freud (born 2 May 1963) is a British novelist. Early life and training Born in London, Freud is the daughter of Bernardine Coverley and painter Lucian Freud. She is also a great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud and niece of Clement Freu ...

Esther Friesner Esther Mona Friesner-Stutzman, née Friesner (born July 16, 1951) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is also a poet and playwright. She is best known for her humorous style of writing, both in the titles and the works themsel ...

Esther Geller Esther Geller (October 26, 1921 – October 22, 2015) was an American painter mainly associated with the abstract expressionist movement in Boston in the 1940s and 1950s. She was one of the foremost authorities on encaustic painting techniqu ...

Esti Ginzburg Esther Daphna "Esti" Ginzburg-Keizman ( he, אסתי גינזבורג; born ) is an Israeli model, actress, and television host. She has modeled in international campaigns for fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, FCUK, Pull and Bear. ...

Esther Golar Esther P. Golar (April 16, 1944 – September 21, 2015) was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 6th District since her appointment in 2006. She served until her deat ...

Esther Goris Esther Goris (born 5 March 1963 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine actress. Her film career started in 1983 with ''Los enemigos'' and ''Gracias por el fuego'' (''Thanks for the Fire'', based on Mario Benedetti homonymous novel). In 1996 she starred ...

* Esther Haase *

Esther Hahn Esther Kyung-Joo Keleana Hahn (born December 17, 1985) is a professional surfer and action sports personality. Before attending Yale University (class of 2008), Hahn built up an extensive surfing resume with wins and titles in the NSSA (National Sc ...

Esther Hall Esther Jane Hall (born 28 August 1970) is an English actress who has appeared in a number of television dramas. Early life Born in Manchester in 1970 and brought up in Cheshire, she took A levels in Manchester before training in theatre arts fo ...

Esther Handali Esther Handali (died 18 or 19 December 1588Pedani, Maria Pia. “Safiye's Household and Venetian Diplomacy”. Turcica 32 (2000). ) was a Jewish Ottoman businesswoman. She was the influential favorite and '' Kira'' (business agent) of Nurbanu S ...

Esther Hart (singer) Esther Hart (born Esther Katinka Hartkamp on 3 June 1970 in Epe, Gelderland) is a Dutch singer. Career Hart entered BBC TV's ''A Song for Europe'' contest in 2003 with the song "Wait for the Moment". She withdrew from that contest as particip ...

(born 1970), Dutch singer * Esther Hart (''Titanic'' survivor) (1863–1928), survivor of the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'' *

Esther Hasson Esther Voorhees Hasson was the first Superintendent of the United States Navy Nurse Corps. Prior to and after serving in the United States Navy Nurse Corps, she served as an Army nurse. Early life Esther Voorhees Hasson was born in Baltimore, Mar ...

Esther Hautzig Esther R. Hautzig ( he, אסתר האוציג, born October 18, 1930 – died November 1, 2009 in America) was a Polish-born American writer, best known for her award-winning book '' The Endless Steppe'' (1968). Esther Hautzig (previously known ...

Esther Hermitte María Esther Álvarez de Hermitte (1921-1990), commonly known as Esther Hermitte, was a social anthropologist from Argentina. Early life and education Hermitte studied at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Air ...

Esther Hicks Esther Hicks (née Weaver, born March 5, 1948) is an American inspirational speaker, channeler, and author. She has co-written nine books with her late husband Jerry Hicks, presented numerous workshops on the law of attraction with Abraha ...

Esther Hobart Morris Esther Hobart Morris (August 8, 1812 – April 2, 1902) was the first woman justice of the peace in the United States. She began her tenure as justice in South Pass City, Wyoming, on February 14, 1870, serving a term of nearly 9 ...

Esther Studholme Hope Esther Studholme Hope (née Barker, 8 August 1885 – 16 July 1975) was a New Zealand artist. Background Hope was born in Woodbury, New Zealand, on 8 August 1885. Her father was the farmer John Matthias Barker (1856–1933), the son of Dr Al ...

Esther Housh Esther T. Housh (, Taylor; October 27, 1840 – May 7, 1898) was a 19th-century American social reformer, author, and newspaper editor. While serving as national press superintendent of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), she instituted ...

Esther Howard Esther Howard (April 4, 1892 – March 8, 1965) was an American stage and film character actress who played a wide range of supporting roles, from man-hungry spinsters to amoral criminals, appearing in 108 films in her 23-year screen care ...

Esther Howland Esther Howland (1828–1904) was an artist and entrepreneur who was responsible for popularizing Valentine's Day greeting cards in America. Early life Esther Allen Howland, born in Worcester, Massachusetts, was the daughter of Southworth ...

Esther Hunt Esther Hunt (September 4, 1751February 5, 1820) was a pioneer who lived on America's frontier as a wife, a mother and a leader in her Quaker faith. Early life at Moorestown Born Esther Roberts, she was the youngest of five children of Enoch Robe ...

Esther Inglis Esther Inglis ( or ) (1571–1624) was a skilled member of the artisan class, as well as a miniaturist, who possessed several skills in areas such as calligraphy, writing, and embroidering. She was born in 1571 in either LondonFrye, Susan. 201 ...

Esther James Esther Marion Pretoria James (5 November 1900 – 7 January 1990) was an entrepreneur who once walked the length of New Zealand to raise awareness of New Zealand-made goods. Career James patented a cutlery washer and rinser that was sold and ...

Esther John Esther John ( ur, ), born Qamar Zia (Urdu: ), on 14 December 1929; died 2 February 1960) was a Pakistani Christian nurse who was murdered in 1960 for her efforts in Christian evangelism. She was subsequently recognized as a Christian martyr. In ...

* Esther Jolobala * Esther Jones (disambiguation) *

Esther Jungreis Esther Jungreis (April 27, 1936 – August 23, 2016, 19 Menachem Av, 5776) was a Jewish, Hungarian-born, American author, and public speaker. She was the founder of the international Hineni organization in the United States. A Holocaust survivor ...

Esther Kamatari Princess Esther Kamatari (born on 30 November 1951 in Bujumbura) is a writer, model, and exiled Burundian princess. Biography Esther Kamatari grew up in Burundi as a member of the royal family. She was educated at l'Ecole Nationale d'Administrat ...

Esther Kellner Esther Kellner (1908–1998) was a writer, animal lover, and director of Wayne County, Indiana Civil Defense. She was born in New Lisbon, Indiana and graduated from Morton High School in Richmond, Indiana in 1926. She began her writing career at ...

Esther Kenworthy Waterhouse Esther Kenworthy Waterhouse (1857–1944), born Esther Maria Kenworthy, was a British artist who exhibited her flower-paintings at the Royal Academy in London and elsewhere. Waterhouse was the daughter of James Lees Kenworthy, an artist and scho ...

Esther Kia'aina Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen ...

Esther Koplowitz Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen t ...

Esther Kreitman Hinde Ester Singer Kreytman (31 March 1891 – 13 June 1954), known in English as Esther Kreitman, was a Yiddish-language novelist and short story writer. She was born in Biłgoraj, Vistula Land to a rabbinic Jewish family. Her younger brother ...

Esther K. Richardson Esther Kaleimomi Kaiuwailani Kaoao Richardson (January 17, 1901 – March 18, 1963) was a Republican Representative for Hawaii Island in the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives. In the 1942 election, she was the only woman from Hawaii Is ...

Esther Ku Esther Ku is a comedian, television personality and actress. Ku was a cast member on the MTV shows ''Girl Code'' and '' Wild 'N Out''. She was a finalist of ''Last Comic Standing'', Showtime’s AVN Awards Host, SAG Actor, host of ''Ku and the ...

Esther Kwan Esther Kwan Wing-ho (), born 16 July 1964 is a Hong Kong retired actress formerly contracted to TVB and ATV. Career Kwan began her acting career after high school at ATV from 1988 to 1993. She moved over to TVB in 1993 and has been at the bro ...

Esther Lachmann Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen ...

Esther Lederberg Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg (December 18, 1922 – November 11, 2006) was an American microbiologist and a pioneer of bacterial genetics. She discovered the bacterial virus λ and the bacterial fertility factor F, devised the first imp ...

Esther Lekain Esther Lekain, née Ernestine Nickel (1 April 1870 – 2 March 1960), was a French singer. She was born in Paris and her career spanned 70 years. She died in Nice. Recordings #''La dernière Gavotte'' (Vargues – Delormel) #''Un vieux farceu ...

* Esther Levine *

Esther J. Trimble Lippincott Esther J. Trimble Lippincott (, Trimble; March 2, 1838 — June 2, 1888) was an American educator, reformer, and non-fiction author. She served as professor of elocution and literature at Swarthmore College, and West Chester State Normal School. T ...

Esther Liu Esther Liu (born 8 August 1988) is a Taiwanese actress, singer and television host. Liu began her career at the age of 14 as part of the girl group Sweety with Joanne Tseng. In 2003, Liu made her acting debut in the television series ''Westsi ...

Esther Marly Conwell Esther Marley Conwell (May 23, 1922 – November 16, 2014) was a pioneering American chemist and physicist, best known for the Conwell-Weisskopf theory that describes how electrons travel through semiconductors, a breakthrough that helped revol ...

Esther Margolis Newmarket Publishing and Communications Company, and its publishing arm Newmarket Press, was founded in 1981 by President and Publisher Esther Margolis. Newmarket published about 20-30 mainly non-fiction books a year, primarily in the areas of ch ...

* Esther Maria Lewis Chapin *

Esther Martinez Esther Martinez also known as Estefanita Martinez (1912 – September 16, 2006) was a linguist and storyteller for the Tewa people of New Mexico. Martinez was given the Tewa name P’oe Tsáwä (meaning Blue Water) and was also known by vari ...

Esther McCoy Esther McCoy (November 18, 1904 in Horatio, Arkansas – December 30, 1989) was an American author and architectural historian who was instrumental in bringing the modern architecture of California to the attention of the world. Early life an ...

Esther McCracken Esther McCracken (née Armstrong, 1902–1971) was a British actress and playwright. Biography She was born Esther Helen Armstrong in Newcastle upon Tyne on 25 June 1902 and was educated at the Central Newcastle High School, where she won the c ...

* Esther Mcheka Chilenje *

Esther McVey Esther Louise McVey (born 24 October 1967) is a British politician and television presenter serving as the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton (UK Parliament constituency), Tatton since 2017 United Kingdo ...

Esther Muir Esther Muir (March 11, 1903 – August 1, 1995) was an American actress on Broadway and in Hollywood films. Early years Born in Andes, New York, Muir had six sisters and three brothers. She began modeling in New York City while still a hig ...

Esther Murugi Mathenge Esther Murugi Mathenge is a Kenyan politician. She is a former Member of Parliament for Nyeri Town Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya. Political career Murugi was a Minister of Special Programs under the Kibaki-Raila Coalition go ...

Esther Newberg Esther Newberg, originally from Middletown, Connecticut, is an American literary agent and former aide to Senator Robert F. Kennedy during his 1968 presidential campaign. Political career Newberg attended Wheaton College, and joined Senator Robe ...

Esther Newton Esther Newton (born 1940, New York City) is an American cultural anthropologist who did pioneering work on the ethnography of lesbian and gay communities in the United States. Career Newton studied history at the University of Michigan and re ...

Esther Nisenthal Krinitz Esther Nisenthal Krinitz (1927 – 30 March 2001)was a Polish Jewish artist. ''Esther Krinitz has literally woven the most shameful chapter in human history into a fabric of art that is at once both beautiful and shocking. It is so important ...

Esther Afua Ocloo Esther Afua Ocloo (born Esther Afua Nkulenu; 18 April 1919 – 8 February 2002) was a Ghanaian businesswoman and pioneer of microlending, a programme of making small loans in order to stimulate businesses. She was one of the founders of Women's W ...

Esther Ofarim Esther Zaied, better known by her married name Esther Ofarim ( he, אסתר עופרים; born June 13, 1941), is an Israeli singer. She came second in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " T'en va pas", representing Switzerland. Afte ...

* Esther Orozco *

Esther Ouwehand Esther Ouwehand (born 10 June 1976) is a Dutch politician and former marketing manager serving as leader of the Party for the Animals ( nl, Partij voor de Dieren, PvdD) and its parliamentary group in the House of Representatives since 2019. S ...

* Esther Oyema *

Esther Peterson Esther Eggertsen Peterson (December 9, 1906 – December 20, 1997) was an American consumer and women's advocate. Background The daughter of Danish immigrants, Esther Eggertsen grew up in a Mormon family in Provo, Utah. She graduated from Bri ...

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

Esther Pohl Lovejoy Esther Pohl Lovejoy ( Clayson; November 16, 1869 – August 31, 1967) was an American physician and public health pioneer, suffrage activist, congressional candidate, and a central figure in early efforts to organize international medical r ...

Esther D. du Pont Esther Driver du Pont, Lady Thouron (January 21, 1908 – March 24, 1984) was an American horse breeder and philanthropist who created the Thouron Award with her husband, Sir John R.H. Thouron KBE. Biography Born in Wilmington, Delaware, she w ...

Esther Tuttle Pritchard Esther Pritchard (, Wood; after first marriage, Tuttle; after second marriage, Pritchard; January 26, 1840 – August 6, 1900) was a 19th-century American minister and editor. Pritchard was the daughter of a minister of the Society of Friends. She ...

Esther Pugh Esther Pugh (August 31, 1834 – March 29, 1908) was an American temperance reformer of the long nineteenth century. She served as Treasurer of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), a Trustee of Earlham College, as well as editor ...

Esther Rahim Esther Rahim (25 June 1904 – 31 March 1963), also known as Esmet Rahim, was a Pakistani painter.

Esther Ralston Esther Ralston (born Esther Louise Worth, September 17, 1902 – January 14, 1994) was an iconic American silent film star. Her most prominent sound picture was '' To the Last Man'' in 1933. Early life and career Ralston was born Esther Loui ...

Esther Rantzen Dame Esther Louise Rantzen (born 22 June 1940) is an English journalist and television presenter, who presented the BBC television series ''That's Life!'' for 21 years, from 1973 until 1994. She works with various charitable causes, and fou ...

Esther Raziel Naor Esther Raziel-Naor ( he, אסתר רזיאל-נאור, 29 November 1911 – 11 November 2002) was a Revisionist Zionist, Irgun leader and Israeli politician. She was the sister of fellow Irgun leader David Raziel. Biography Early life Raziel ...

* Esther Rochon *

Esther Rolle Esther Elizabeth Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was an American actress. She is best known for her role as Florida Evans, on the CBS television sitcom '' Maude,'' for two seasons (1972–1974), and its spin-off series ''Go ...

Esther Rome Esther Rachel Rome ( Seldman; September 8, 1945 – June 24, 1995) was an American women's health activist and writer. She was part of group of 12 women who co-founded the Boston Women's Health Book Collective (now called Our Bodies, Ourselves), ...

Esther Roper Esther Roper (4 August 1868 – 28 April 1938) was an Irish- English suffragist and social justice campaigner who fought for equal employment and voting rights for working-class women. Early life and education Esther Roper was born near Chorl ...

* Esther Rose *

Esther Roth Shahamorov Esther Roth-Shahamorov ( he, אסתר רוט-שחמורוב; born April 16, 1952) is a former Israeli track and field athlete. She specialized in the 100-meter hurdles and the 100-meter sprint. Early and personal life Esther Shahamorov was bor ...

Esther Sandoval Esther Sandoval (28 December 1928 – 6 February 2006) was a Puerto Rican actress and a pioneer in Puerto Rico's television. Early years Sandoval was born Esther María González in Ponce where she received her primary and secondary education ...

* Esther Schipper, German art dealer * Esther Schweins *

Esther Scott Esther Scott (April 13, 1953 – February 14, 2020) was an American actress. Early years Scott was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, on April 13, 1953. When she was a child the family moved to Brooklyn, New York. She developed an interest i ...

* Esther Shimazu *

Esther Shiner Esther Shiner (February 12, 1924 – December 19, 1987) was a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She served on the North York city council from 1973 until her death, and was also a member of the Metropolitan Toronto council. She ser ...

Esther Snyder Esther Lavelle Snyder (née Johnson) (January 7, 1920 – August 4, 2006) was an American businesswoman. She co-founded In-N-Out Burger, with her husband Harry Snyder, in 1948. Early life Snyder was born and raised in Sorento, Illinois, as one o ...

Esther Somerfeld-Ziskind Esther Somerfeld-Ziskind (July 2, 1901 – November 11, 2002) was an American neurologist and psychiatrist. She conducted pioneering research into the use of insulin, lithium, and electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of psychiatric di ...

Esther Baker Steele Esther Baker Steele (, Baker; August 4, 1835 – November 23, 1911) was an American educator, author, editor, and philanthropist of the long nineteenth century. She aided her husband, Dr. Joel Dorman Steele, J. Dorman Steele in his fourteen-week B ...

Esther Sumner Damon Esther Sumner Damon (August 1, 1814 – November 11, 1906) was cited as the last widow of the American Revolutionary War to receive a state pension. Esther was born in Bridgewater, Vermont. The family had eight or nine children. Esther's f ...

Esther Szekeres-Klein Esther Szekeres ( hu, Klein Eszter; 20 February 191028 August 2005) was a Hungarian– Australian mathematician. Biography Esther Klein was born to Ignaz Klein in a Jewish family in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary in 1910. As a young physics st ...

* Esther W. Taylor *

Esther Termens Esther Termens Cañabate (born November 2, 1984, in Terrassa, Catalonia) is a field hockey midfield player from Spain. She represented her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Termens was a key member of the Spanish n ...

* Esther Valiquette *

Esther Vergeer Esther Mary Vergeer (; born 18 July 1981) is a Dutch former professional wheelchair tennis player. Vergeer won 48 major titles (21 in singles and 27 in doubles), 23 year-end championships (14 consecutive in singles and nine in doubles), and ...

Esther Vilar Esther Margareta Vilar (born Esther Margareta Katzen, September 16, 1935) is an Argentine-German writer. She trained and practised as a medical doctor before establishing herself as an author. She is best known for her 1971 book '' The Manipulated ...

Esther Vilenska Esther Vilenska ( he, אסתר וילנסקה‎ 8 June 1918 – 8 November 1975) was a Lithuanian Jews, Lithuanian Jewish Israeli Communism, communist politician, journalist and author who served as a member of the Knesset for Maki (histor ...

Esther Walker Esther Walker (''nee'' Thomas October 18, 1894 – July 26, 1943) was an American musical comedy performer. Esther Walker was born Esther Thomas in Pewee Valley, Kentucky."Noted Actress Has Lead Role in 'Biography.'" ''The Dallas Morning New ...

Esther Wanjiru Esther Wanjiru Maina (born March 27, 1977) is a retired female long-distance runner from Kenya. She is from Kahuhia, Murang'a District. On January 15, 1999 she finished second at a half marathon race in Tokyo. The race was won by Elana Meyer, wh ...

Esther Wertheimer Esther Wertheimer (née Estera Sheps) (1926 – August 18, 2016) was a Canadian sculptor and educator. She is known for her semi-abstract figurative bronze sculptures and portrait busts in terra cotta. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Werthei ...

Esther Wheelwright Esther Wheelwright (31 March 1696 – 28 November 1780), also known as Mère Marie-Joseph de l'Enfant-Jésus, was born in Wells, Massachusetts (present day Maine). Wheelwright was captured during an attack of her village during Queen Anne's W ...

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

Esther Wojcicki Esther Denise "Woj" Hochman Wojcicki ( ; born May 26, 1941) is an American journalist, educator, and vice chair of the Creative Commons advisory council. Wojcicki has studied education and technology. She is the founder of the Palo Alto High Scho ...

Esther Wong Esther Wong (August 13, 1917 – August 14, 2005) was a Chinese-American music promoter, called the "Godmother of Punk" in Los Angeles, California. Life She was born in Shanghai in 1917. Her father had been an automobile importer, and she ha ...

* Esther Yu

Ester

Ester Andujar Ester Andujar (in Spanish, Andújar), born 1976 in Valencia, is a Spanish jazz singer notable among the younger generation of Spanish jazz musicians. She began singing professionally in 1996 and went on to receive the Valencian Jazz Awards 'Promu ...

Ester Aparecida dos Santos Ester Aparecida dos Santos (born 9 December 1982), commonly known mononymously as Ester, is a Brazilian former footballer. She played as a " volante" (defensive midfielder) for clubs including Chelsea of the English FA WSL and BV Cloppenburg of ...

Ester Balassini Ester Balassini (born 20 October 1977) is an Italian hammer thrower. Her personal best throw is 73.59 metres, achieved in June 2005 in Brixen. She is the wife of the former discus thrower Cristiano Andrei. Achievements National titles Balassi ...

Ester Blenda Nordström Ester Blenda Elisabet Nordström (31 March 1891 – 15 October 1948) was a Swedish journalist, writer and explorer. She often published her writings under the signature ''Bansai''. In 1914 she published ''En piga bland pigor'' which was an early ...

Ester Böserup Ester Boserup (18 May 1910 – 24 September 1999) was a Danish economist. She studied economic and agricultural development, worked at the United Nations as well as other international organizations, and wrote seminal books on agrarian change an ...

* Elisa Colberg, known as Ester Colberg *

Ester Fanous Ester Akhnoukh Fanous or Esther Fanous (), also known as Ester Wissa (February 19, 1895, Assiut, Egypt – August 1990) was an Egyptians, Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Christian feminism, feminist. From a prominent Copts in Egypt, ...

* Ester Hernandez *

Ester Larsen In chemistry, an ester is a chemical compound, compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an Alcohol ...

* Ester Ledecká *

Ester Mägi Ester Mägi (10 January 1922 – 14 May 2021) was an Estonian composer, widely regarded as the First Lady of Estonian Music. Biography Her compositional output is substantial and represents all genres, from chamber and vocal music to choral and ...

Ester Peony Ester Alexandra Crețu (; born 21 July 1993), known professionally as Ester Peony (formerly only Ester), is a Romanian singer and songwriter. She represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "On a Sunday" after winning ...

Ester H. Segal Ester H. Segal is an Israeli nanotechnology researcher and professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, where she heads the Laboratory for Multifunctional Nanomaterials. She ...

* Ester Toivonen *

Ester Wier Ester Wier (October 17, 1910 – January 6, 2000) was an American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens a ...

Ester Workel Ester Workel (born 18 March 1975 in Enschede) is a rowing cox from the Netherlands.

Notes

{{given name Feminine given names Hebrew feminine given names English feminine given names Esther Inanna

History of usage

International variants

Esther

Ester

See also

Notes