The name Esther comes from the Hebrew name Ester, which is believed to be derived from the Persian word for "star." In the Old Testament, Esther (whose real name is Hadassah) is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther and the Jewish wife of the King of Persia. It was a top-100 girl's name in the United States every year between 1900 and 1935. Esther never fell out of the top-350 and eventually returned to the top-200 in 2016. It's the name singer Sophie B. Hawkins gave her daughter Esther Ballantine, born in 2020, as well as the middle name "NCIS: Los Angeles" star Daniela Ruah used for her daughter, Sierra Esther.
