| Esther | Jasmine | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star (disputed) | Jasmine flower |
| Origin | persian | persian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ES-ter | JAZ-min |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1906 |
| Peak year | 1918 (6,574) | 1993 (12,063) |
| In 2025 | 2,277 | 1,481 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Esther | Jasmine |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 12,290 | 9,952 |
| 2010s | 15,935 | 29,393 |
| 2000s | 11,488 | 76,080 |
| 1990s | 9,415 | 105,322 |
| 1980s | 8,819 | 32,952 |
| 1970s | 7,299 | 4,133 |
| 1960s | 10,111 | 346 |
| 1950s | 15,766 | 327 |
| 1940s | 17,639 | 11 |
| 1930s | 25,791 | 21 |
| 1920s | 49,230 | 46 |
| 1910s | 49,212 | 38 |
| 1900s | 20,026 | 5 |
| 1890s | 14,737 | 0 |
| 1880s | 3,476 | 0 |
Widely glossed as 'star', most often derived from Old Persian 'stara' (compare modern Persian 'setareh', and Greek 'aster'). The exact root is debated: some scholars instead link it to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar (associated with Venus), and a Hebrew folk etymology ties it to the root s-t-r ('to hide'). Included with that caveat.
IS a bloom word: from the flowering plant, via Old French 'jasmin' from Persian 'yasamin' (jasmine).
Esther is more popular than Jasmine today: about 2,277 US babies were given the name Esther in 2025, compared with 1,481 named Jasmine.
Esther means Star (disputed) (persian origin), while Jasmine means Jasmine flower (persian origin).
In US records, Esther first appears in 1880 and Jasmine in 1906, so Esther has the longer recorded history.