Easter

At a Glance

Meaning

Named for the holiday; ultimately from a Germanic dawn/spring root

Origin

English (from Old English ēastre, ultimately a Germanic dawn/spring root)

Gender

Girl

Pronunciation

EE-sterListen

Easter is an English name taken directly from the holiday, tracing back to the Old English word ēastre and, further back, a Germanic root tied to dawn and spring. It's pronounced EE-ster (IPA /ˈiːstər/). You may have seen a claim online that the name comes from Ishtar, the Mesopotamian fertility goddess — that's not accurate; the actual root is that separate Germanic dawn/spring word.

Meaning & Origin of Easter

Meaning: Named for the holiday; ultimately from a Germanic dawn/spring root.

Origin: English (from Old English ēastre, ultimately a Germanic dawn/spring root).

A common claim: A widely circulated social-media claim asserts 'Easter' derives from 'Ishtar,' the Mesopotamian fertility goddess Actually: Easter isn't related to Ishtar. Wiktionary traces it to a Germanic dawn/spring root and a separate, only tentatively attested, Anglo-Saxon goddess named Ēastre.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Easter

Popularity of Easter

Easter reached its highest point in the Social Security data at #415 back in 1883, when 21 babies were given the name. By 2017, the last year it shows up in the data, it had fallen to #16536 with just 5 babies.

Names Like Easter

These names share Easter’s style, era or origin.

• Adalee
• Amber
• Angie
• Araminta
• Astoria
• Avenly

FAQ

What does the name Easter mean?

Named for the holiday; ultimately from a Germanic dawn/spring root. (Source: Wiktionary)

How do you pronounce Easter?

Easter is pronounced EE-ster (IPA: /ˈiːstər/).

Is Easter a popular name right now?

Easter peaked at #415 in 1883 and is ranked #16536 as of 2017. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2017.)

Make Easter Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Easter, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.