The term Easter most likely comes from the Old English name of a spring month, Ēosturmōnaþ , which the monk Bede said was named after a goddess called Ēostre. In many other languages, though, the holiday’s name comes from Passover instead, showing that the English word has a separate history from the religious celebration itself.

Quick scoop

  • English and German use forms related to “Easter/Ostern,” and the origin is uncertain.
  • A traditional explanation ties it to Ēostre , a pre-Christian spring goddess mentioned by Bede.
  • Another scholarly view says the word may instead be connected to a Latin phrase associated with dawn or the Easter season.
  • In languages like French, Italian, Greek, and Danish , the holiday name comes from Passover / Pascha.

Why the name stuck

The name likely survived because early English-speaking Christians kept using the existing seasonal word even after the holiday became centered on Jesus’ resurrection. That’s why the same holiday can have very different names across languages.

If you want, I can also give you the shortest possible version or a more detailed history of Easter’s name and traditions.