Hester
Hester is both a female given name and a surname. As a given name Hester is a variant of Esther. In Ireland, particularly County Mayo, the surname Hester is found as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó hOistir descendant of Oistir, who was likely an early 13th century immigrant from Tuscany.
- English
- Dutch
- Biblical Latin
Meaning & Origin of Hester
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hester is both a female given name and a surname. As a given name Hester is a variant of Esther. In Ireland, particularly County Mayo, the surname Hester is found as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó hOistir descendant of Oistir, who was likely an early 13th century immigrant from Tuscany.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Dutch
- Biblical Latin
The Story of Hester
Hester first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 49 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 394 Hesters were born — ranking #323 that year. As of 2026, Hester ranks #15,178 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 14K Hesters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Hester
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Hester. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Hester
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hester is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Hyster
- Huster
- Hister
- Hoster
- Heister
- Hoister
- Haster
- Hastur
- Wester
- Westar
- Hest
- Heter
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hester
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About the name Hester
Hester is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 14K births in the dataset. Hester's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #323. Use the chart and map above to compare Hester's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.