Hester

/ˈhɛstər/ noun

Definition

A feminine given name of English origin, most famously associated with Hester Prynne, the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel 'The Scarlet Letter'.

Etymology

From Middle English, derived from the name Esther, which comes from Persian 'stāra' meaning 'star' or possibly from the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. The name gained literary prominence through Hawthorne's 1850 novel.

Kelly Says

The name Hester carries the weight of literary history, representing both shame and redemption in American literature. Interestingly, while the biblical Esther was a queen who saved her people, Hawthorne's Hester becomes a symbol of female strength in the face of societal condemnation.

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