Hester?

banannapeach85

Currently crushing on this name. It's got a lovely meaning, and sort of a old-lady-revival feel to me, like Hattie.

What do you think?

tomkat35728

Hester Prynne was my first thought - like the PP.

PinkLillyLover

tomkat35728:

Hester Prynne was my first thought - like the PP.

 Yep.

Mochadoodle

Hester isn't terrible, but I do prefer Esther and/or Harriet.

tarmar81

All I can think of is the Scarlet Letter as well.  It's not a feminine name at all.  I'm not a fan of Esther either though.  Harriet I can get behind. And if you like Hattie, that's a much better choice, in my opinion!

blu-eyedwife

Poor Hester Prynne.  Really - no one seems to have the same problem with the name Eve, although she is also the one blamed for the tempting while the man is deemed innocent in the transaction.  And both Arthur and Adam are deemed perfectly fine names.

 I have a similar feeling about Hester.  I like the softer feeling compared with the similar Esther.  Like a whisper in the wind.  And I also find in comparable in style to Harriet/Hettie/Hattie which I adore.

plunderb

I love it. Like PP said ? it's like a whisper.

Yes, there's the Scarlet Letter, but anyone who came away from that thinking "wow, Hester's a slut" probably didn't pass 11th grade English. Besides, Scarlett is a popular name, and no one worries.

provwife

PinkLillyLover:

tomkat35728:

Hester Prynne was my first thought - like the PP.

 Yep.

Me too. NMS

Bexx24

plunderb:

I love it. Like PP said ? it's like a whisper.

Yes, there's the Scarlet Letter, but anyone who came away from that thinking "wow, Hester's a slut" probably didn't pass 11th grade English. Besides, Scarlett is a popular name, and no one worries.

 Yeah, not something that would worry me. Not really my style of a name but it does go with the old lady trend. I think it could be cute on the right kid.

oliversbear

I like it.  I knew a Hester in HS.  She was a prim, proper girl, and the name fit her very well.  She did get all kinds of Scarlet Letter comments.  But my association with the name is with her and not the book.

If you love it, use it.  It is a good name.  But be prepared for teen-age teasing.

g8trkim

It makes me think of The Scarlet Letter.

whoopsybaby

I thought of the Scarlet Letter too, but it's a great name.  I love the sound of it.

BulgariHeart

Not a fan at all.

NerdyLucy

I'm not a fan, but it's just because of a weird (personal) negative connotation. 

I'm familiar with Hester Prynn, but when I was in high school, we were reading a lot of plays, searching for something to perform. These were not famous scripts, let me say, so nothing was familiar, but one of them had two witches: Hester and Hortense. Now both of those names make me think of warty witches. Terrible, I know. I would rather the association be Hester Prynn, but I just always think of that crappy play.

Having said that, if I actually knew of a Hester (woman or child), I think all of that would change. I've just never met an actual Hester that I can recall.  I even wish I associated that name more with Hester Prynn, but the warty-witch imagery takes over.

gutsymama

plunderb:

Yes, there's the Scarlet Letter, but anyone who came away from that thinking "wow, Hester's a slut" probably didn't pass 11th grade English. Besides, Scarlett is a popular name, and no one worries.

My first thought was Hester Prynne, but that alone wouldn't deter me. I don't really like the sound of the name, though.  

salt78

I love old lady names, but this is not one of them.