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Hilary is pretty and I’d use it. I don’t know why I like it so much...I guess it’s because it’s feminine without being too frilly.

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I think Hester is totally unattractive and I like Harper but its popularity is taking away its appeal for me.

Hilary, even though it's strongly attached to Ms. Clinton. It's a pleasant name.
Hester, just don't like it.
Harper, ok if it's a family surname, otherwise, no.

Hilary. It's cute. It has a medieval classic feeling, like Cecily or Emily. It's just not a fashionable sound at the moment, I don't think.

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Harper is pretentious and reminds me of harping (not the musical kind).

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Hester is so ugly it's sad.

This is hard...
But I absolutely hate Hester, it’s one of the ugliest names I can think of.
I also highly dislike Hilary. Ugh.
I seriously dislike Harper, but I suppose that would be my choice.

Hilary. I like the sound best, and my best friend in school was Hilari.

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Hester next. I generally dislike -er endings for girls, but the first syllable is nice. It sounds very old-fashioned to me, so I wouldn't use it.

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Harper, never. Don't like any part of the sound, don't like last names as first names, don't like how trendy it is.

Hester is old fashioned, not overly used but still familiar, and makes me think of a well meaning elderly lady who dries herbs, knits, and has at least three cats. Hester Prynne isn't my favorite protagonist, but she doesn't bother me either.

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Harper is shrill. Yes, Harper Lee is an influential author whose work "To Kill a Mockingbird" deserves its status as a classic, but the name makes me think of someone aggressively harping on their harp.

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Hilary - The meaning hilarious is a bit strange. The sound of the name isn't particularly pleasant, and it is very tied to politics at the moment.

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Hester wins.

This message was edited 6/24/2019, 1:43 PM

Hilary wins. Hester gets an honorable mention. Harper need not apply.

Harper makes me feel very foreign. Which of course I am; but I just don't know what Americans see in Harper. I look around for siblings: Drummer and Oboist would do nicely.

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Hester is hissy. I quite like Esther, though not enough to use, but Hester always seems nasty.

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I like Hilary with one L; with two, it loses its charm entirely. Does anyone know any Hilary people with nicknames? The only nicknamed Hilary I've ever met was known as Lally, which rhymes with Sally; the others just used the full form.

Hester, but I wouldn't like it. Harper just sounds so damn ugly, and Hillary sounds prissy.

Harper makes me think of Harper’s Bazar

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Hester makes me think of Lee Scoresby’s daemon (His Dark Materials Serie by Philip Pullman). I love this name because of this.

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Hilary makes me think of Hilary Duff, Hilary Clinton, Hilary Swank.

Hester, its old fashioned, very uncommon and a lovely variant of Esther.

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I'd pick Harper for a boy though.

Hester sounds terribly harsh.
I don’t like Harper: Too popular, only like it for a Boy. I also dislike the double R sounds.
Hilary is cute and has a good meaning. I prefer it spelled with 2 Ls.
I choose Hillary / Hilary.

Of these three, I'd have to choose Hilary. It's my stepsister's name and I've never liked it. I had to bite my tongue when my stepmother once mentioned how much she loves it (well, obviously she does). I don't like it due to the "Hil" syllable, the rest is okay.

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But. Hester and Harper are worse. They are just uglier. Every syllable of them is ugly, whereas with Hilary it's only the first syllable. And Hilary at least is not old-lady ugly the way Hester is or trendy-surname ugly the way Harper is.

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So if forced at gunpoint, Hilary it is.

Hilary is the best. Not overused and flows easily.

Harper, followed by Hester.

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I prefer the look and sound of Harper, but Hester is kinda funny and spunky. Hilary though...no thanks.

Hester. I used to think it was really cool, so I'll pick it, although I do find something weird about it lately and prefer Heather and Esther. I still like it, though.

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Harper is cool because of the connection to Lee, but it isn't my thing.

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Hilary seems like it should be my style (because it's a Medieval version of a Latinate name, like Cecily, Amabel, Annora) but it feels kind of dated. Also, the meaning is too weird and direct.

Hilary - and definitely this spelling!

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I don't really like Harper but I don't hate it either. It's just okay.

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Hester is old and spinstery.

Hester. While I prefer Esther, Hester has a lovely, old-fashioned charm. Harper sounds to modern, and Hilary is too associated with Hilary Clinton.