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. Fema ...

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

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 chosen ...

, eponymous heroine 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 ...

''. According to the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' 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 (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

") although some scholars identify Esther with the name of the Babylonian 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 Su ...

'', given its association with the planet Venus (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, ...

)).

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 in ...

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. Pare ...

, the "Stella" of

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...

, 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 (ethnic group), Dutch descent, was a longtime lover and correspondent of Jonathan Swift. Swift's letters to her were published ...

, 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 NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

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 List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

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 identif ...

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 (

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

) *

Essie Essie is a given name and nickname/hypocorism usually used as a feminine name. As a standalone name, ''Essie'' can be found in several languages, including Romance, Germanic, and Persian ones. In each case, the name means "star." As a nickname, ...

(

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 ide ...

) *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 ar ...

(

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 #1 ...

), (

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, ...

), (

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 ** Portu ...

), (

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 r ...

), (

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, Cana ...

), (

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, traditional ...

), ( Lithuanian) *Estere ( Latvian) *Esteri (

) *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 ( Hungarian) *Eszti ( Hungarian) * Ettie (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), ed ...

(English) *

Hester Hester is both a female given name and a surname. As a given name Hester is a variant of Esther. As a surname it is of Germanic origin and uncertain meaning, possible roots being the Middle High German ''heister'' beech tree indicating residence ne ...

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

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, 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 ...

* (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 la ...

)

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 t ...

* Esther Aghatise *

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 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 Béjarano ( Löwy; 15 December 1924 – 10 July 2021) was one of the last survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. She survived because she was a player in the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz. She was active in various ways, inclu ...

* Esther Bell *

Esther Benbassa Esther Benbassa (born 27 March 1950) is a French-Turkish-Israeli historian and politician. She specializes in the history of Jews and other minorities. Since 2011, Benbassa has served as a French senator, representing Paris from 2017 onwards an ...

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 Barbara Bloemart *

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 Africa ...

Esther Brandeau Esther Brandeau ( ''flor.'' in Canada 1738–39) is notable in the history of the Jews in Canada as the first Jew to set foot in the country, travelling from France to New France. She was born around 1718, probably at Saint-Esprit-lès-Bayonne (n ...

* Esther Brann * Esther Brimmer *

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 Cañadas Esther Cañadas (; born 1 March 1977, in Albacete) is a Spanish people, Spanish model (person), 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 ...

* Esther Cardoso *

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 Dankwah *

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 Akademi ...

Esther Dean Esther Renay Dean (born April 15, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer and actress. Dean has also written songs for many artists, with numerous Top 10 hits, including No. 1 hits for Rihanna and Katy Perry, earning the name ...

Esther Delisle Esther Delisle (born 1954) is a French Canadian historian and author of historical works from Quebec. Biography Born and raised in Quebec City, she completed her BA and MA in political science at Université Laval in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Sainte ...

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 Ab ...

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 ang ...

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

, 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 Farbstein ( he, אסתר פרבשטיין, born 1946) is an Israeli historian, researcher, author, and lecturer. Considered the leading Haredi Judaism, Haredi scholar of the The Holocaust, Holocaust, she focuses on the spiritual responses ...

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 Ferrer (born 1937 in San Sebastián, Spain) is a Spanish performance artist. Ferrer received Spain's National Award for Plastic Arts (1999), the Marie-Claire Prize for Contemporary Art in France, and the Velázquez Plastic Arts Prize. Hi ...

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 ...

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 Antiqu ...

Esther G. Frame Esther G. Frame (, Gordon; July 10, 1840 – June 11, 1920) was an American minister and evangelist. She was a minister of the Quakers, Society of Friends church for over 40 years, often working closely with ministers of other denominations. ''Th ...

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 Freud. ...

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 techniques ...

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 member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 6th District since her appointment in 2006. She served until her death on September 21, 2015. Early ...

* Esther Goris *

Esther Haase Esther Haase is a German photographer. Biography Haase was born in Bremen, the first daughter of illustrator Sibylle Haase-Knels and Fritz Haase. Her father worked as a professor of communication design at the University of the Arts Bremen. In ...

* Esther Hahn *

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 ...

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 Su ...

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, M ...

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 a ...

* Esther Hermitte *

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 Abraham ...

* Esther Hobart Morris * Esther Studholme Hope *

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 career ...

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 Al ...

* Esther Hunt *

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 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 Jolobala is a Malawian politician who has served in the Parliament of Malawi since 2014, representing the Machinga East (Malawi Parliament constituency), Machinga East constituency as a member of the United Democratic Front (Malawi), Unite ...

* 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 ...

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 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 brothers ...

* Esther K. Richardson *

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 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 imple ...

* Esther Lekain *

Esther Levine Esther Levine (born 1970 in Frankfurt am Main) is a German born, New York based photographer. After studying photography at the City College of New York from 1994 to 1996 she enrolled in the documentary photography program at the International Cen ...

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 ''West ...

* Esther Marly Conwell * Esther Margolis *

Esther Maria Lewis Chapin Esther Maria "Lili" Lewis Chapin (June 17, 1871 – June 21, 1959) was an American socialite. She was a direct descendant of Betty Washington Lewis, the sister of George Washington. An evening gown she wore in 1888 set a world auction record w ...

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 Mcheka Chilenje is a Malawian politician from the Democratic Progressive Party. She was MP for Nsanje North from 2014 to 2021. Career Mcheka Chilenje served as Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations. She was elected to Parliament in t ...

Esther McVey Esther Louise McVey (born 24 October 1967) is a British politician and television presenter serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton since 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Minister of State for Housing and Pla ...

* Esther Muir *

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 gov ...

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 R ...

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 receiv ...

Esther Nisenthal Krinitz Esther Nisenthal Krinitz (1927 – 30 March 2001)was a History of Jews in Poland, 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 sh ...

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. After ...

* 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. She ...

Esther Oyema Esther Oyema (born 20 April 1982) is a Nigerian powerlifter. Oyema competed in the women's 61 kg event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where she won a gold medal and set a new world record by lifting 122.4 kg in the heavyweight category. ...

* Esther Peterson *

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 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 people, 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 foun ...

* Esther Raziel Naor *

Esther Rochon Esther Rochon (née Blackburn) (born 27 June 1948) is a Canadian science fiction writer. Born in Quebec City, Quebec, the daughter of screenwriter Marthe Blackburn and composer Maurice Blackburn (composer), Maurice Blackburn, at the age of 16 sh ...

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 '' G ...

* Esther Rome *

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 Chorley ...

Esther Rose Esther Elvina Rose (April 1, 1901 – July 16, 1990) was an American painter who worked in oils, collage, silkscreen and watercolors. She was best known for her impressionist renditions of California coastal images. Early life Esther Elvina ...

* Esther Roth Shahamorov *

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 Esther Schipper (born 1963) is a German art dealer and gallerist. Early life Schipper is the daughter of Dutch sinologist Kristofer Schipper. She was born in Taiwan and lived there until the age of seven. She later grew up in Paris.Tim Ackermann ...

, German art dealer *

Esther Schweins Esther Schweins (born 18 April 1970 in Oberhausen) is a German actress and comedian who became famous through her appearances on the '' RTL Samstag Nacht'' show for which she won the Bayerischer Fernsehpreis in 1994. Schweins survived the 2004 ...

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 Shimazu is an American sculptor who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1957. Her grandparents were immigrant laborers from Japan. She attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa before transferring to the University of Massachusetts in Amhe ...

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 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 Szekeres-Klein *

Esther W. Taylor Esther W. Taylor (April 16, 1826 – August 9, 1904) was an American physician, one of the earliest women physicians in New England. Biography Esther Woodman Colby was born in Sanbornton, New Hampshire, April 16, 1826. Her parents were Ebenezer a ...

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 natio ...

Esther Valiquette Esther Valiquette (November 1962 – September 8, 1994) was a Canadian documentary film director.Stan Shatenstein, "Film-maker dies of AIDS". ''Montreal Gazette'', September 19, 1994. She is most noted for her 1992 documentary film '' The Measure o ...

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 s ...

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 Jewish Israeli communist politician, journalist and author who served as a member of the Knesset for Maki between 1951 and 1959 and then aga ...

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 News ...

* Esther Wanjiru * Esther Wertheimer *

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 War ...

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 had ...

Esther Yu Yu Shuxin (Chinese: 虞书欣; pinyin: ''Yú Shūxīn'', born December 18, 1995), also known as Esther Yu, is a Chinese actress and singer. She is a former member of THE9, the project girl group from iQIYI's survival show '' Youth With You 2.'' ...

Ester

* Ester Andujar * Ester Aparecida dos Santos *

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 *

Elisa Colberg Elisa Colberg (April 25, 1903 – 1988) was the founder of the Puerto Rican Girl Scouts, the first troop of which formed in 1926 in Cabo Rojo, aptly named Hijas de Betances. She continued as head of the Girl Scout organisation in Puerto Rico f ...

, known as Ester Colberg * Ester Fanous *

Ester Hernandez Ester Hernández (born 1944) is a California Bay Area Chicanx visual artist recognized for her prints and pastels focusing on farm worker rights, cultural, political, and Chicana feminist issues. Background Hernández is a Chicana of Yaqui ...

* Ester Larsen *

Ester Ledecká Ester Ledecká (, born 23 March 1995) is a Czech snowboarder and alpine skier. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Ledecká won gold medals in the super-G in alpine skiing and in the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding, becoming the ...

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 Toivonen * Ester Wier *

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