Find out how popular the last name Ester is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ester.

Ester, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ester surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ester in America

Ester is the 13233rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ester surname appeared 2,308 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ester.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ester to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ester

The surname "Ester" is of German origin, derived from the medieval German word "ester," which means "Easter." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a surname for someone who was born or baptized around the Easter holiday.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Ester" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, Germany. In this manuscript, dated around 1300, there is a reference to a person named "Conradus Ester."

The name "Ester" is also closely tied to the German town of Esterau, which was first mentioned in historical records in the 13th century. It is possible that the surname "Ester" may have originated from this place name or vice versa.

In the 16th century, the surname "Ester" appeared in various records across Germany, including the Palatinate region. One notable individual from this era was Hans Ester (c. 1520 - c. 1590), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg.

As the name spread throughout Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Estere," "Esterre," and "Esterre." In the 17th century, the Dutch painter Jan Ester (1635 - 1681) was a prominent figure who carried this surname.

Another notable person with the surname "Ester" was Johann Georg Ester (1738 - 1794), a German composer and organist who lived in the 18th century. He is known for his contributions to the development of church music in Germany.

In the 19th century, the name "Ester" appeared in various parts of Europe, including France and England. One example is the French writer and journalist Pierre Ester (1823 - 1895), who wrote for several Parisian newspapers.

While the surname "Ester" is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be found in various parts of the world, particularly in areas with German or Dutch cultural influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ester

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ester.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ester was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ester has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ester was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ester, please contact us.

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