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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Esther f. Of disputed origin, either Hebrew אֶסְתֵּר derived from Persian stl, stʾlk' 'star' or Hebrew עִשְׁתָּר 'Ishtar' (the name of a goddess).

The eponymous character of an Old Testament book. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Hester.

The name came into use in the 16th C amongst Protestants.

England
Dutch
1573 Esther AuFr Galmaers, Hester ibid. Cleijmans; 1575 Osther ibid. Broun; 1578 Hesther ibid. Brouwier; 1579 Esther ibid. Backers, Hesther ibid. Fredericks; 1580 Esther ibid. Brauwiers; 1586 Esther ibid. Clincboom, Hester ibid. Beecmans; 1587 Hester ibid. Clopperijs; 1589 Esther ibid. Batens; 1590 Hester ibid. Buijck; 1591 Esther ibid. Beliwijs; 1592 Esther ibid. Adriaenssen; 1593 Hesther ibid. Geerart; 1595 Hester ibid. Bueghen, Hesther ibid. Beijnaert; 1596 Esther ibid. Bick; 1597 Hester ibid. Adams; 1599 Hester ibid. Crick
Early Modern English
1546 Ester StAnthonlin p. 5; 1560 Hester ibid. p. 13; 1565 Hester StMaryA p. 4; 1576 Hester StAnthonlin p. 25; 1583 Ester ibid. p. 30; 1585 Ester ibid. p. 31; 1593 Ester ibid. p. 36; 1596 Hester BUmar-vol2 p. 141, DEmar-vol2 p. 33; 1597 Hestar StAnthonlin p. 38; 1598 Estar ibid. p. 39, Ester ibid. p. 39, Hester DEmar-vol2 p. 38; 1599 Hester ibid. p. 42
France
Middle French
1561 Ester RegPCC-1 p. 2; 1562 Ester ibid. p. 7; 1563 Ester ibid. p. 23, Esther ibid. p. 37, Hester ibid. p. 22; 1564 Ester ibid. p. 53; 1565 Ester ibid. p. 108, Hester ibid. p. 133; 1566 Ester ibid. p. 214, Hester ibid. p. 237; 1567 Ester ibid.; 1568 Ester ibid. p. 380, Esther ibid. p. 400; 1570 Ester ibid. p. 431, Hester ibid. p. 430; 1571 Ester ibid. p. 438; 1588 Ester raymond1588 p. 569; 1589 Ester ibid. p. 571
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Esther". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2017, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2017/1/name/Esther.