Hester is both a female given name and a surname. As a given name Hester is a variant of Esther. In Ireland, particularly County Mayo, the surname Hester is found as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó hOistir descendant of Oistir, who was likely an early 13th century immigrant from Tuscany.
Given name Hester Adrian, Baroness Adrian (1899–1966), British mental health worker Hester Bateman (bap. 1708–1794), English silversmith Hester A. Benedict (1838–1921), American poet and writer Hester Biddle (c. 1629–97), English Quaker writer Hester "Hetty" Burr (c. 1796–1862), American abolitionist Hester Chapone (1727–1801), British author Hester A. Davis (1930–2014), American archaeologist Hester Dowden (1868–1949), Irish spiritualist medium Hester Dunn (born 1940), Northern Irish former loyalist activist and writer Hester Maria Elphinstone, Viscountess Keith (1764–1857), British literary correspondent and intellectual Hester Goodsell (born 1984), British rower Hester Grenville, 1st Countess Temple (c. 1690–1752), English noblewoman Hester Jane Haskins (fl. 1860–75), American madam, procuress, and underworld figure Hester Kaplan, American author Hester Maclean (1859–1932), New Zealand nurse, editor and writer Maria Hester Park (1760–1813), British composer, pianist, and singer Hester Parnall (1868–1939), English brewer and businesswoman Hester Pitt, Countess of Chatham (1720–1803), wife of William Pitt (the Elder), 1st Earl of Chatham, who was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768 Lady Hester Pulter (1605–1678), British writer Catherine Hester Ralfe (c. 1831–1912), New Zealand dressmaker, teacher, storekeeper, housekeeper and diarist Hester Dorsey Richardson (1862–1933), American author Hester Santlow (c. 1690–1773), British dancer and actress Hester Shaw (midwife) ( – 1660), English midwife and pamphleteer Lady Hester Stanhope (1776–1839), British socialite, adventurer and traveler Hester Thrale (1741–1821), British diarist, author, and patron of the arts Hester van Eeghen (1958–2021), Dutch designer Hester Veltman-Kamp (born 1973), Dutch politician Hester Wagstaff (1892–1953), English illustrator, author and jeweller
Surname Bart Hester (born 1977), American politician Benny Hester (born 1948), American music artist and songwriter Betty Hester (1923–1998), American correspondent Carolyn Hester (born 1937), American folk singer and songwriter Dave Hester, star of A&E TV's Storage Wars Devin Hester (born 1982), American football player Drew Hester (born 1969), American percussionist and record producer Eric Hester (born 1974), American composer Frank Hester (born 1966), British businessman Hugh B. Hester (1895–1983), American army officer Jack W. Hester (1929–1999), American politician Jacob Hester (born 1985), American football player James McNaughton Hester (1924–2014), American educator Jessie Hester (born 1963), American football player Joan Hester (1932–2019), American politician John Hester (born 1983), American baseball player Joy Hester (1920–1960), Australian artist Katie Fry Hester (born 1974), American politician from Maryland Laurel Hester (1956–2006), American police officer and advocate of rights of domestic partners Leigh Ann Hester (born 1982), American soldier and Silver Star recipient Lawrence L. Hester (1891–1973), American politician from South Carolina Lex Hester (1935–2000), American public administrator Marc Hester (born 1985), Danish professional bicycle racer Michael Hester (born 1972), Australian-born New Zealand association football referee Paul Hester (1959–2005), Australian musician Paul V. Hester (born 1947), American Air Force officer Phil Hester (comics) (born 1966), comic book artist and writer Phillip Doyce Hester (1955–2013), former chief technology officer of Advanced Micro Devices Randolph T. Hester American professor, sociologist, and landscape architect Ray Hester (1949–1977), American football player Rita Hester (d. 1998), transgender African American murder victim Sandra Hester, American activist and former television host Stephen Hester (born 1960), CEO of RSA Insurance Group Treyvon Hester (born 1992), American football player Wallace Hester (1866–1942), British caricaturist for Vanity Fair William Hester, also known as Slew Hester (1912–1993), American tennis official
Fictional characters Hester Argyle, a character in Agatha Christie's novel Ordeal by Innocence Hester Latterly, main character of Anne Perry's Monk detective series Hester Prynne, main character of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter The Character and Death of Mrs. Hester Ann Rogers, a 1794 Methodist tract Hester Shaw, a character from Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet Hester Ulrich, a character from the 2015 American horror comedy television series, Scream Queens. Hester Crane, mother of Frasier Crane of Cheers and Frasier television shows. Hester, the daemon companion of Lee Scoresby in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. Hester Sherwood, one of the four characters from the Australian 2002 play Wicked Sisters by Alma De Groen. Hester, the daughter of the witch from Hansel and Gretel in School for Good and Evil
See also
Hessy, a related name and nickname