Esther
Girl name · #119 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Esther? In official American birth records, Esther has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Esther is currently the #119 girl name in the United States — 2,277 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #203, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 791 girls born in 2025 was named Esther.
Babies named Esther per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Esther first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 198 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 6,574 girls were named Esther — good for #38 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Esther against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Esther in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Esther is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Esther is most common
Geography matters for names, and Esther is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Esther is most common in NJ (7 per 1,000), NY (5.5 per 1,000), SD (3.3 per 1,000), IN (2.3 per 1,000), WA (2.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Esther is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Esther
Statistically, parents drawn to Esther tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Elsie, Eva, Rose, Vivian, and Annie.
ElsieEvaRoseVivianAnnieGenevieveMiriamClara
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Esther | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,277 | #119 |
| 2024 | 2,220 | #130 |
| 2023 | 2,026 | #138 |
| 2022 | 2,088 | #138 |
| 2021 | 1,847 | #153 |
| 2020 | 1,832 | #148 |
| 2019 | 1,732 | #165 |
| 2018 | 1,860 | #151 |
| 2017 | 1,836 | #165 |
| 2016 | 1,814 | #182 |
| 2015 | 1,625 | #203 |
| 2014 | 1,669 | #199 |
| 2013 | 1,440 | #222 |
| 2012 | 1,344 | #237 |
| 2011 | 1,356 | #233 |
| 2010 | 1,259 | #260 |
| 2009 | 1,254 | #260 |
| 2008 | 1,282 | #267 |
| 2007 | 1,261 | #272 |
| 2006 | 1,158 | #287 |
| 2005 | 1,203 | #272 |
| 2004 | 1,114 | #294 |
| 2003 | 1,103 | #283 |
| 2002 | 1,059 | #296 |
| 2001 | 1,072 | #293 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Esther?
In official American birth records, the name Esther first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 198 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Esther a popular girl name?
Esther ranked #119 among girls in 2025 with 2,277 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #203.
When was the name Esther most popular?
Esther peaked in 1918, when 6,574 American girls received the name (ranked #38 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Esther?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 791 newborn American girls was named Esther. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.