Holding steady, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Hester since 1880
Babies named Hester per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hester's real moment was 1893.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 796 |
| 1890s | 1,401 |
| 1900s | 1,663 |
| 1910s | 3,111 |
| 1920s | 3,037 |
| 1930s | 1,523 |
| 1940s | 1,115 |
| 1950s | 754 |
| 1960s | 348 |
| 1970s | 239 |
| 1980s | 154 |
| 1990s | 49 |
| 2000s | 15 |
| 2010s | 12 |
| 2020s | 10 |
Meaning & origin
Hester is a name with deep roots in Puritan and early American culture. Its peak popularity occurred in 1893, when it ranked as high as 149th. By 2025, it had fallen to rank 14,942, with only about 1 in 321,453 newborns receiving the name, reflecting a stable but niche usage. The name is chiefly known from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, which introduced Hester Prynne as a literary icon. While never regaining its 19th-century heights, Hester retains a quiet, historic appeal.
Hester is an English vernacular form of Esther, which itself derives from the Persian word for 'star' (sitareh). It was popular in Puritan England and among early American settlers. The name appears in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), which cemented its association with the fictional Hester Prynne.
Where Hester is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Hess, Hettie, Hetty
Variants: Esther, Hesther
Sibling names for Hester
Names that share Hester's style, for a brother or sister.
