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Help[Opinions] Hester
In response to Gracie's post below about Hester Jean, I've decided to test the waters with Hester. I'm really loving it suddenly. It seems so cutting edge to me, and icily sleek.
This message was edited 7/4/2012, 5:42 AM
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Whenever I see Hester my mind automatically finishes it with "the molester", like the character from John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany. (For those of you who haven't read it, there's a character in it named Hester who later goes on to become a rock star under the stage name Hester the Molester). It has some characteristics that I like, but that particular association is too strong for me to really warm to the name.
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Esther I quite like. It has class. Hester on the other hand makes me think of a pussy wound or something... not at all appealing.
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Hester would be such sweet relief from the tyranny of Harper.
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Great sibling set. Very retro. :-)
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Joscelin was the fortunate one of those sibs... though I prefer the name on a girl.
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Well... on paper it has hipness. A character name. I can picture an icily sleek Hester.
But if I try (and I'm trying really hard to imagine it as cool) to picture it as the name of anyone real, who I actually know, including the cutest young women and girls I know? It sounds as underdoggy and unfortunate as a chin zit and flat feet, and vaguely disagreeable too. It's not half as bad as Esther, but it's still dowdy and unappealing, in a way similar to (but not the same as) Hazel.
I guess maybe I just don't like the hissy, whispery sound. And I think the obvious Hawthorne reference seems too self-conscious. I think Easter sounds more "icily sleek" and suitable to real people in 2012. Even Vesta sounds about twice as realistic and usable to me.
But if I try (and I'm trying really hard to imagine it as cool) to picture it as the name of anyone real, who I actually know, including the cutest young women and girls I know? It sounds as underdoggy and unfortunate as a chin zit and flat feet, and vaguely disagreeable too. It's not half as bad as Esther, but it's still dowdy and unappealing, in a way similar to (but not the same as) Hazel.
I guess maybe I just don't like the hissy, whispery sound. And I think the obvious Hawthorne reference seems too self-conscious. I think Easter sounds more "icily sleek" and suitable to real people in 2012. Even Vesta sounds about twice as realistic and usable to me.
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Harper's just plain ugly as a fn to begin w/ and horrid on a girl, but Hester somehow sounds even worse to me. Heather, though nms, is considerably better. Plus, I wouldn't want a child to somehow be assoiciated w/ the current PM's bad decisions on certain things (which there are some major ones of), so even if it weren't unattractive as a fn, it would prob'ly be out for me.
This message was edited 7/4/2012, 11:13 PM
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Although Heather suffers from the same sort of gustiness as Hester, it doesn't hiss bitterly like Hester seems to do, to me. The -ther pleases me more than the -ster. YMMV. Harper is not more appealing to me than Hester. Harper sounds like it's trying to be statusy, while Hester just sounds homely. But I guess Hester sounds better than Harper, because Harper reminds me of harpies.
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I don't like it. I definitely prefer Esther.
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Hester is a sleeper hit -- just waiting to be discovered by the hipster crowd. I find her zippy and fun, with a restrained, Puritan chic. Hester is earthy and spunky at the same time. And do I detect a slight witchy vibe? Love, love Hester.
Hester Abigail
Hester Isobel / Ishbel
Hester Myfanwy
Hester Julie
Hester Gwyneth
Hester Myra
Hester Sibyl
Hester Margaret / Mairead / Marjorie
Hester Prudence
Hester Anne
Hester Blythe
Hester Sylvie
Hester Minerva
Hester Gwendolen
Hester Muriel
Hester Jane / Joan
Hester Evelyn
Hester Deborah
Hester Lydia
Hester Miriam
Hester Judith
Hester Imogen
Hester Jonquil
Hester Abigail
Hester Isobel / Ishbel
Hester Myfanwy
Hester Julie
Hester Gwyneth
Hester Myra
Hester Sibyl
Hester Margaret / Mairead / Marjorie
Hester Prudence
Hester Anne
Hester Blythe
Hester Sylvie
Hester Minerva
Hester Gwendolen
Hester Muriel
Hester Jane / Joan
Hester Evelyn
Hester Deborah
Hester Lydia
Hester Miriam
Hester Judith
Hester Imogen
Hester Jonquil
This message was edited 7/4/2012, 9:19 AM
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I love it, too. It has a lot of nerve, probably because of Hester Prynne.
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I don't really like Hester, which is weird because I really like Esther. Hester just doesn't seem very feminine to me.
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I adore Hester! It has literary pedigree, stuffy sophistication, and classic originality, all of which delight me.
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Yay! Hester is sleek indeed. I like it quite a bit.
What about Hester Dagmar? That's like the epitome of sleek for me. I think it's the mar- part... is it ok if I play with this idea here?
Hester Marcel!
Hester Marceline
Hester Marion
Hester Margaux, Hester Margot
Hester Mariel
Hester Marilyn
Hester Marjolaine
Hester Marlene ohhh
Hester Samar
Hester Thamar
that was very satisfying, thank you!
What about Hester Dagmar? That's like the epitome of sleek for me. I think it's the mar- part... is it ok if I play with this idea here?
Hester Marcel!
Hester Marceline
Hester Marion
Hester Margaux, Hester Margot
Hester Mariel
Hester Marilyn
Hester Marjolaine
Hester Marlene ohhh
Hester Samar
Hester Thamar
that was very satisfying, thank you!
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