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.