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.