Chester
Boy name · #1585 in 2025 · Very rare
Chester ranks #1585 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 107 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1625, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,822 boys born in 2025 was named Chester.
Babies named Chester per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Chester first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 168 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 3,698 boys were named Chester — good for #55 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Chester against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Chester in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Chester is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Chester will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Chester is most common
State-level data for Chester is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Chester
Statistically, parents drawn to Chester tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lester, Sylvester, Luther, Clarence, and Cecil.
LesterSylvesterLutherClarenceCecilCarmenCliffordClaude
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Chester | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 107 | #1585 |
| 2024 | 102 | #1650 |
| 2023 | 96 | #1727 |
| 2022 | 94 | #1760 |
| 2021 | 68 | #2109 |
| 2020 | 99 | #1621 |
| 2019 | 91 | #1723 |
| 2018 | 93 | #1687 |
| 2017 | 93 | #1695 |
| 2016 | 76 | #1921 |
| 2015 | 98 | #1625 |
| 2014 | 84 | #1781 |
| 2013 | 78 | #1827 |
| 2012 | 71 | #1983 |
| 2011 | 82 | #1771 |
| 2010 | 74 | #1913 |
| 2009 | 73 | #1942 |
| 2008 | 92 | #1665 |
| 2007 | 81 | #1795 |
| 2006 | 71 | #1893 |
| 2005 | 95 | #1506 |
| 2004 | 90 | #1491 |
| 2003 | 95 | #1400 |
| 2002 | 97 | #1357 |
| 2001 | 81 | #1502 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Chester a popular boy name?
Chester ranked #1585 among boys in 2025 with 107 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1625.
When was the name Chester most popular?
Chester peaked in 1920, when 3,698 American boys received the name (ranked #55 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Chester?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,822 newborn American boys was named Chester. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.