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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
Latin
1578 Hester (nom) AuFr Tieckemakers
Dutch
1571 Hester AuFr Halmaels; 1572 Esther ibid. Stilte; 1573 Esther ibid. Galmaers, Hester ibid. Cleijmans; 1575 Esther ibid. Trioen, Hester ibid. Koetman, Osther ibid. Broun; 1576 Esther ibid. Ghuijssen, Hester ibid. Keijser; 1577 Hester ibid. Schrevels, Hesther ibid. p. 84; 1578 Esther ibid. Kleijnen, Hesther ibid. Brouwier; 1579 Esther ibid. Backers, Hester ibid. Stoll, Hesther ibid. Fredericks; 1580 Esther ibid. Brauwiers, Hester ibid. Goijots; 1582 Esther ibid. Nauwe, Hesther ibid. Kinicks; 1583 Esther ibid. Sameijns; 1585 Hesther ibid. Verhouve; 1586 Ester ibid. Reijenroij, Esther ibid. Clincboom, Hester ibid. Beecmans; 1587 Esther ibid. Kinderen, Hester ibid. Clopperijs; 1588 Esther ibid. Linden; 1589 Esther ibid. Batens; 1590 Esther ibid. Godschalck, Hester ibid. Buijck; 1591 Esther ibid. Beliwijs, Hester ibid. Schoemaeckers, Hesther ibid. p. 84; 1592 Esther ibid. Adriaenssen, Hester ibid. Veuren; 1593 Esther ibid. Linden, Hesther ibid. Geerart; 1594 Esther ibid. Stiltere, Hester ibid. Hoevenaer; 1595 Hester ibid. Bueghen, Hesther ibid. Beijnaert; 1596 Esther ibid. Bick, Hester ibid. Oltens; 1597 Hester ibid. Adams; 1598 Ester ibid. Russeel, Esther ibid. Pauw; 1599 Esther ibid. Pauwels, 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, RegSoAMar p. 19
Middle French
1569 Hester WCS p. 40; 1570 Hester ibid. p. 40; 1571 Hester ibid. p. 40; 1572 Hester ibid. p. 41; 1576 Hester ibid. p. 43; 1579 hester ibid. p. 44; 1581 hester ibid. p. 16; 1582 Ester ibid. p. 17; 1583 hester ibid. p. 17; 1584 Exter ibid. p. 46; 1586 Esther ibid. p. 47; 1587 Esther ibid. p. 47; 1588 Esther ibid. p. 48; 1589 Esther ibid. p. 90; 1591 Esther ibid. p. 23; 1593 Esther ibid. p. 50; 1594 Esther ibid. p. 91; 1595 Esther ibid. p. 51; 1596 Ester ibid. p. 26, Esther ibid. p. 52, Ether ibid. p. 91; 1597 Esther ibid. p. 52; 1598 Ester ibid. p. 53, Esther ibid. p. 52; 1599 Esther ibid. p. 53
Walloon
1581 Hester RWC p. 3; 1582 Hester ibid. p. 4; 1590 Ester ibid. p. 14, Esther ibid. p. 13; 1590/1 Esther ibid. p. 15; 1591 Ester ibid. p. 563, Esther ibid. p. 16; 1591/2 Esther ibid. p. 20; 1592 Esther ibid. p. 22; 1592/3 Esther ibid. p. 25; 1593 Esther ibid. p. 27, Hester ibid. p. 564; 1594 Esther ibid. p. 32
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 2020, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2020/1/name/Esther.