Ester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The surname Ester has multiple possible origins. First of all, the name could have been from L’Estre, near Valognes, Normandy. 1 In this case, the first record of the family was that of Richard de l’Estre who held lands in Dorset from the time of the Conquest. 2 The same rolls includes an entry for William del Estre, Devon, Henry III-Edward I. 3 In 1165, Richard de l’Estre held a barony of four knights’ fees in Somerset 4

Secondly, the name could have been a nickname for someone who has a connection with the Christian festival of Easter, such as someone born or baptized at that time. 5

Finally, the name could have been derived from a group of villages so named in Essex having derived from the Old English word "eowestre," meaning sheepfold 6 or the Anglo-Saxon word Eásthere or Esthere, derived from "East" + the Old English word "here" meaning "army." 7

Early Origins of the Ester family

The surname Ester was first found in Essex. 8 9 A scan of early 12th century records show Jordan del estre in Leicestershire and later the Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire included Robert del Estre in 1272. John de Estre was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1345. 6

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was more widespread as that census includes entries for Robert de le Estre, Suffolk; and Robert del Ester, Cambridgeshire. 3

Early History of the Ester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ester research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1783 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Ester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ester Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Astor, Aster, Astur, Astorr, Asterr, Asturr, Estor, Ester, Esturr, Astoria, Estoria, E'Stur, Stur and many more.

Early Notables of the Ester family

More information is included under the topic Early Ester Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ester Ranking

In the United States, the name Ester is the 12,056^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 10

Ester migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Ester or a variant listed above:

Ester Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Ester, who landed in Maryland in 1659 11
William Ester, who arrived in Virginia in 1665-1666 11

Ester Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johanes Ester, aged 25, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 11
Anna Ester, aged 25, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 11
Lodwick Ester, aged 27, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 11

Ester Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Ester, who landed in America in 1810 11
Andreas Ester, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1854 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Ester (post 1700) +

Peter Ester (1953-2022), Dutch sociologist and politician, member of the Senate from 7 June 2011 until his death
Ester Goossens (b. 1972), retired Dutch athlete who competed in the 1997 World Championships and 1999 World Indoor Championships
Ester Andujar (b. 1976), Spanish jazz singer; she received the Valencian Jazz Awards 'Promusics' Best vocalist in 2001 and 2002
Ester Nuhfer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 2008 12
Ester Friel, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1944 13
Ester Blenda Nordstrom (1891-1948), Swedish journalist, author and explorer
Ester Wier (1910-2000), American writer
Ester Schlicht, artistic film maker and Art Schlichter, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts
Ester Rodriguez, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1988 14
Ester Unger, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1932 15

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 5) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html