| Esther | Roxana | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star (disputed) | Dawn, radiant |
| Origin | persian | Persian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ES-ter | rok-SAN-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1882 |
| Peak year | 1918 (6,574) | 1991 (315) |
| In 2025 | 2,277 | 77 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Esther | Roxana |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 12,290 | 555 |
| 2010s | 15,935 | 1,270 |
| 2000s | 11,488 | 2,304 |
| 1990s | 9,415 | 2,517 |
| 1980s | 8,819 | 2,272 |
| 1970s | 7,299 | 944 |
| 1960s | 10,111 | 690 |
| 1950s | 15,766 | 588 |
| 1940s | 17,639 | 395 |
| 1930s | 25,791 | 185 |
| 1920s | 49,230 | 133 |
| 1910s | 49,212 | 67 |
| 1900s | 20,026 | 31 |
| 1890s | 14,737 | 17 |
| 1880s | 3,476 | 26 |
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.
Roxana means “dawn,” “bright” or “radiant”; she married Alexander the Great.
Esther is more popular than Roxana today: about 2,277 US babies were given the name Esther in 2025, compared with 77 named Roxana.
Esther means Star (disputed) (persian origin), while Roxana means Dawn, radiant (Persian origin).
In US records, Esther first appears in 1880 and Roxana in 1882, so Esther has the longer recorded history.