| Jasmine | Esther | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Jasmine flower | Star (disputed) |
| Origin | persian | persian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | JAZ-min | ES-ter |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1906 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1993 (12,063) | 1918 (6,574) |
| In 2025 | 1,481 | 2,277 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jasmine | Esther |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 9,952 | 12,290 |
| 2010s | 29,393 | 15,935 |
| 2000s | 76,080 | 11,488 |
| 1990s | 105,322 | 9,415 |
| 1980s | 32,952 | 8,819 |
| 1970s | 4,133 | 7,299 |
| 1960s | 346 | 10,111 |
| 1950s | 327 | 15,766 |
| 1940s | 11 | 17,639 |
| 1930s | 21 | 25,791 |
| 1920s | 46 | 49,230 |
| 1910s | 38 | 49,212 |
| 1900s | 5 | 20,026 |
| 1890s | 0 | 14,737 |
| 1880s | 0 | 3,476 |
IS a bloom word: from the flowering plant, via Old French 'jasmin' from Persian 'yasamin' (jasmine).
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.
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.
Jasmine means Jasmine flower (persian origin), while Esther means Star (disputed) (persian origin).
In US records, Jasmine first appears in 1906 and Esther in 1880, so Esther has the longer recorded history.