אֶסְתֵּר
Esther means “star, or hidden”
Esther is a girl's name of Biblical origin.
The heroine of Purim; her Hebrew name is Hadassah.
- In Hebrew
- אֶסְתֵּר
- On an ID card
- אסתר
- In English letters
- Esther
- Other English spellings
- Ester, Esfir, Esfira, Esthera
- Other Hebrew spellings
- אספיר · אספירה · אסטר · אסתרה · אסתאר
- Meaning
- Star, or hidden
- Origin
- Biblical
- Given to
- Girls
- Gematria value
- 661
59,826 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 carry the name Esther.
- 59,814 of them are women and girls, and 12 are men and boys.
- 1,617 of them were born in 1951, more than in any other year.
- Carriers born 2020 to 2024: 4,706, against 3,750 born 2010 to 2014, so its share of births is about the same.
- The total includes the other Hebrew spellings the register counts separately: אספיר, אספירה, אסטר, אסתרה, אסתאר. The chart shows the spelling אסתר alone.
Central Bureau of Statistics register, April 2025. People who changed their name are counted under the one they carry now, and a year with fewer than five shows as zero.
This is how Esther is counted in each population group.
These are the people born 1949 to 2024 who carry the spelling אסתר today, in each population group and sex the register lists for it. The rank counts the names given in 2024, and 1 is the most given. A count under 5 is not published, so the table says “fewer than 5”, and 0 means nobody.
| Population group | Carriers | Born in 2024 | Rank in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish girls | 59,404 | 1,022 | 6 of 678 |
| Jewish boys | 12 | fewer than 5 | – |
| Muslim girls | 27 | 0 | – |
| Christian Arab girls | 27 | 0 | – |
| Druze girls | 6 | 0 | – |
In 2024, Esther ranked 6 of 678 among the names given to Jewish girls.
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics table of current first names of people born 1949 to 2024, by sex and population group (release 391/2025 of 8 December 2025, read on 2 November 2026). Groups and sexes with no row for this spelling are left out.
These six names are close to Esther in theme or origin.
These are the questions people ask about the name Esther.
What does the name Esther mean?
Esther means “star, or hidden”. Esther is a girl's name of Biblical origin. The heroine of Purim; her Hebrew name is Hadassah.
Is Esther a boy's name or a girl's name?
Esther is mainly a girl's name. Of the 59,826 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 who carry it, 59,814 are women and girls and 12 are men and boys.
How do you write Esther in Hebrew?
Esther is written אסתר in Hebrew. With vowel points it is written אֶסְתֵּר. The register also counts these other Hebrew spellings: אספיר, אספירה, אסטר, אסתרה, אסתאר.
How many people in Israel are named Esther?
59,826 Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 carry Esther today. The most were born in 1951. In 2024, Esther ranked 6 of 678 among the names given to Jewish girls.
Counts are Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 who carry the name today, from the Central Bureau of Statistics register of April 2025. Meanings follow the standard etymologies of Hebrew name references, and where nobody can be sure the page says so.