Esther
Girl name · #119 in 2025 · Uniqueness 38/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Esther scores 38 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Esther is most common
Geography matters for names, and Esther is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Esthers were NY (428), NJ (248), CA (175), TX (158), FL (121). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 38/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.