Sylvester

Sylvester - A very unique male name

Sylvester appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #161. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Sylvester and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Sylvester? 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 Sylvester. The baby boy name Sylvester was given to 25 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2253 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 58,651 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Sylvester peaked in popularity 113 years ago in 1913 on position 155.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Sylvester, 1-5?

Sylvester is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Sylvester is currently topping the baby name charts in Pennsylvania at position #1,415 - and is the least popular in New York at position #2,007.

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 Sylvester is where you live.

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Sylvester origin and meaning

Latin

From Latin Silvester, 'of the woods, wild' — silva, 'wood, forest'

Sylvester is the name of several popes, including Sylvester I under Constantine, and peaked in the US in 1920. It has risen sharply since 2020 from a very low base, helped by the vintage and -ster revivals.

Attested etymology

Sylvester is a 9 letter name with 3 syllables.

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

Similar to Sylvester

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

Silvestre / Silvester / Sylvestre / Silbestre /

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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 Sylvester

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 Sylvester 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 Sylvester?

3 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.

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Pronunciation

sil-VESS-ter · /sɪlˈvɛstər/

Around the world

• Sylvestre (French) — French form of the same Latin name
• Silvestro (Italian) — Italian form of the same Latin name

Spellings and nicknames

• Silvester — Spelling closer to the Latin original

Nicknames: SlyVester

Famous bearers

• Sylvester Stallone — American actor and filmmaker, star of the Rocky and Rambo films (b. 1946) Contemporary
• Sylvester the Cat — Looney Tunes cartoon cat, eternal pursuer of Tweety Bird (Fictional, 1945) Fictional

Style

Classic

Why parents choose it

Sylvester is a big, characterful vintage name with woods in its meaning and Stallone in its image. Its recent rise starts from near-zero.

Worth knowing

• Stallone and the cartoon cat are both strong, very different associations