Hadassah

Two names

Hadassah and Esther are the same person

Esther 2:7 introduces Hadassah and immediately identifies her as Esther. The verse says that Mordecai brings her up because her father and mother have died. Its wording identifies her as his uncle's daughter, making Mordecai her cousin as well as the person who takes her into his care.

Hadassah is therefore not Esther's sister, daughter, or an unrelated woman from the same period. Nor is it simply another spelling of Esther. The names identify the same person but have different linguistic backgrounds. The guide to Esther discusses that name's debated origin; Hadassah has the clearer Hebrew plant connection.

The biblical introduction also does not give a detailed account of when or why she acquired the name Esther. A confident story about a formal renaming needs more evidence than the fact that the text presents both names together.

Plant meaning

What myrtle adds to the name

Common myrtle is an evergreen shrub with aromatic leaves and white flowers. That gives the meaning a concrete natural reference: this is a name connected with a real plant, rather than a general word for beauty or grace. The Royal Horticultural Society describes its glossy foliage and fragrant leaves.

Myrtle also appears elsewhere in the Bible. Isaiah 55:13 places it in an image of renewed growth, replacing the brier. A reader may appreciate that imagery alongside Hadassah's meaning, while recognizing that Isaiah is speaking about restoration and is not explaining Esther's personal name.

For parents who like botanical names, this combination may be the main attraction. Hadassah can point to greenery and fragrance while still carrying a particular human story. Any further association with resilience or hope is a personal reading of those connections, rather than an extra dictionary definition.

Identity

The name preserves the queen's Jewish background

The early chapters place Esther in the Persian royal household. Esther 2 says that she does not disclose her people or family background at Mordecai's instruction. The reader, however, has already been given her Jewish identity and the name Hadassah. That difference between what the reader knows and what the court knows is part of the story.

Later, when her people face destruction, Esther must decide how to act from her position as queen. Chapter 4 records Mordecai's appeal and her decision to approach the king despite the danger. Her courage is an association shared by both names because both belong to her; it is not a separate meaning unique to either one.

Choosing a form

Hadassah or Esther as a baby's name

The two names honor the same biblical woman while sounding and looking quite different. Hadassah has three syllables in the English pronunciation given here and a repeated s in the middle. Esther is shorter and places the emphasis at the beginning. A family can prefer one form without choosing a different biblical story.

Hadassah makes the Hebrew name and its myrtle meaning especially visible. Esther points more immediately to the title used for the biblical book in English. Try each with the surname and consider which explanation you would enjoy giving when someone asks about the name. Neither choice requires treating the other name as a nickname.