Lester

Lester - A very unique male name

Lester appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #63. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Lester and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Lester? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Lester. The baby boy name Lester was given to 57 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1614 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 25,724 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Lester peaked in popularity 114 years ago in 1912 on position 56.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Lester, 1-5?

Lester is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Lester is currently topping the baby name charts in Louisiana at position #857 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,458.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Lester is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Lester origin and meaning

English surname, from the place name Leicester

From Leicester: the Roman fort (castra) of the Ligore people — so, at root, a place name

Lester is the surname form of the city of Leicester, carried as a first name from the 19th century. It was a substantial American name in the early 1900s, peaking in 1918 at over 3,000 births a year, and has declined ever since. Distinguished bearers in jazz and television news keep it from vanishing entirely.

Attested etymology

Lester is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Lester, pop culture references for the name Lester and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Lester

We've found the following names that sound similar to Lester, sorted by popularity.

Luster / Lister / Luiseduardo /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Lester

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Lester a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Lester?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

LES-ter · /ˈlɛstər/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: Les

Famous bearers

• Lester Young — American jazz saxophonist, a defining tenor player of the swing era (1909–1959) Historical
• Lester Holt — American journalist, anchor of NBC Nightly News (b. 1959) Contemporary

Style

SurnameClassicPlace name

Why parents choose it

Lester is a deep-vintage surname name for parents shopping the 1910s racks rather than the current charts.

Worth knowing

• Strongly dated — its peak was 1918 — and the nickname Les is nearly automatic.