Unisex name · since 1881
Ester
Since 1881, U.S. Social Security records show 16,265 babies named Ester, peaking in 1925. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,213 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,571 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 16,265
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ester currently ranks #1571 among unisex names in America, with 16,265 babies recorded since 1881.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ester has been recorded 16,265 times among girls since 1881, currently ranked #1571 nationally and more common than 91% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #1,213 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #1,571 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 16,265 born since 1881
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ester ranks #1,213 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,571 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 16,265 born since 1881, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,213 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,571 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 16,265
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ester's 16,265 recorded births place it above 98.32% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
35 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Ester compares
16,265 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ester's all-time total is 43x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ester | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,265 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 281 | 21 | 19,840 |
Ester's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ester splits its recorded history at 1953: 46% of all births land in the more recent half, 54% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1925 peak of 281 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ester popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1925)
- 281
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Ester popularity over time - boys
891 total births recorded since 1888 (Ester as boys' name)
Ester by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (2,373 births, 15% of the file).
1920s was Ester's strongest decade.
2,373 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Ester births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 115
1880s
115 births
- 1890s 387
1890s
387 births
- 1900s 622
1900s
622 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,573 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,373 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,577 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,582 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,584 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,184 births
- 1970s 746
1970s
746 births
- 1980s 727
1980s
727 births
- 1990s 754
1990s
754 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,009 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,190 births
- 2020s 842
2020s
842 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,373 births (15% of all-time use).
How Ester compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ester's total volume
Ester by state
Where Ester concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 3,622 | 22.3% |
| #2 | California | | 1,111 | 6.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 987 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 667 | 4.1% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 574 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 557 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 411 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Arkansas | | 386 | 2.4% |
3,622 of 16,265 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Ester appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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When was Ester most popular? ▼
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What to do with Ester's data
- Ester's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (2,373 total births) through the 2020s (842) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Esters (3,622 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ester
Nearby Names Like Ester
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ester
Compare Ester side by side: Ester vs Esther Ester vs Estelle Ester vs Estella
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ester
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ester: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1925)
Similar record span (~144 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ester draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.