Ester

Ester is a form of Esther used in several languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and a number of northern and eastern European languages. The older name is often connected with a Persian word for “star,” although a link with Ishtar has also been proposed. Its precise early derivation is not fully settled.

The biblical Queen Esther gives the name its enduring religious story: she reveals her Jewish identity and acts to protect her people in the Persian court. Ester preserves that connection without the h of the familiar English spelling. It is an established language form, not simply a recent attempt to shorten Esther, and its pronunciation naturally varies with the language in which it is used.