This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
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
Walloon
1581 Hester RWC p. 3; 1582 Hester ibid. p. 4; 1591 Ester ibid. p. 563; 1593 Hester ibid. p. 564
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; 1572 Ester ibid. p. 494; 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 2018, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2018/1/name/Esther.