Name of the Week: Aster

 

Origin:

Aster is the name of a genus of flowers, derived from the Greek word aster (ἀστήρ) "star" due to their star-shaped flower head. It was originally used as the name for the Michaelmas-daisy, but was later applied to other plants in the family Asteraceae. The aster is commonly associated as the birth flower for September.  Aster has also been long connected as a variant of the Biblical name Esther and was particularly used as a Judeo-Latin and Ladino form of the name. It was not uncommon for Jews living in Roman and Greek-assimilated countries to adopt Latin or Greek names similar to Semitic names, even if they had very different etymologies.* Bauckham identifies Aster as one of the Greek names used by Jews because of their assonance with Hebrew names.* In some cases, Jewish slaves would have been automatically given Latin names.* Although the meaning is still obscure, and was probably actually related to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, Esther has, for centuries, been regarded as deriving from the Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hstar- "star" which would further link Aster to Esther.  Aster is also an English surname (also found as Astor) which was a variant of the surname Easter. The surname has various origins. It was either connected to the festival of Easter or the place High Easter in Essex which got its name from the Old English eowestre "sheepfold." Easter itself was also used as given name for both boys and girls since the Middle Ages, usually for children born during the festival of Easter. The name of Easter was taken from the Old English name for the Vernal Equinox eastre which was named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre. Her name derived from the Old Germanic *austron "dawn."

Usage:

According to Noy and Sorek, Aster "was a fairly common name among the Jews of Rome"* most likely thanks to its being used as a Latin form of Esther. The epitaph of a Jewish woman named Claudia Aster in Rome dating from the 2nd century attests to this use.  In Britain, Aster can be found as a given name from the early 17th century. It was used for both boys and girls so could represent the given names Easter or Esther, or the surname Aster. Since the beginning of its use, forms of the name Easter have been continually confused with Esther, and so it can sometimes be impossible to unpick which source was meant for Aster. Where Aster was used for boys, it most likely was thanks to the surname or a form of Easter. Aster was, on the whole, more common for girls, however, which would indicate Esther was meant, given that it was a common name from the 17th century. Smith Bannister's data has Esther ranking in the top 50 in England from 1610, reaching #25 by 1690-1700.  By the 19th century, Aster was used rarely. Interestingly, data from the 1881 census shows that Aster's uses as a given name does not match the geographical use of the surname Aster, but it does match the use of the given name Easter especially and Esther. The birth record for Aster Ann in 1843 and Aster John next in 1857 shows how unisex the name was, even in its rarity. The record for Aster Chrysanthemum David Randall also shows that, during the flower-craze of the late 19th century, Aster was also adopted consciously as a floral name.  Birth records in England and Wales for Aster: 1840s:  1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1 birth 3 births 2 births 0 births 3 births 1 birth 0 births 4 births 8 births 1 birth 5 births 1 birth 1 births 3 births By 2008, Aster remained rare. As it was given to no more than two children in any given year, it did not rank in the official statistics for England and Wales.  click to enlarge Since then, however, Aster has seen a rise, and has pulled away as a predominantly female name. Aster first ranked in 2009 at #5556 with 3 births but began to rise more earnestly after 2012 (when it reached #3681 with 6 births).  In 2016, Aster ranked #2547 with 10 births in England and Wales. In Scotland, Aster was first registered (since 1966) for one girl in 2001, followed by one boy in 2012 and one girl in both 2013 and 2015. It was not registered at all in 2014 or 2016, but in 2017 had moved up to #808 with 3 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Aster Ganno (c.1872–1964), Ethiopian Bible translator. Contemporary: * Aster Berkhof (born 1920), pen name of Belgian writer Lode Van Den Bergh. * Aster Aweke (born 1959), Ethiopian singer. Literature and Other Media: * Astor Bennett, character on TV show "Dexter"

Variants:

Astor

Pronunciation:

AST-ə  [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Attie, Essie

Sibling Names:

Bronwen     Ingrid     Bluebelle     Frida     Mavis     Clemency  Gregor     Evander     Atlas     Cyrus     Digby     Quinlan

Name Lists:

No Frills Feminine: Rateable -'r' Endings   September Names

 

If you like Aster you may also like:   Clover, Briar, Astrid, Winter, Hadassah, Juniper, Posy, Vesper, Olwen, Aspen

Thanks to Prue for requesting this name.