Lester
Boy name · #1635 in 2025 · Very rare
Lester is currently the #1635 boy name in the United States — 103 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1555, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,476 boys born in 2025 was named Lester.
The 145-year story
Lester first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 109 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 3,229 boys were named Lester — good for #62 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.
Babies named Lester per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lester against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lester in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lester is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lester will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lester is most common
State-level data for Lester 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 Lester
Statistically, parents drawn to Lester tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Chester, Luther, Sylvester, Lloyd, and Elmer.
ChesterLutherSylvesterLloydElmerMorrisVernonMilton
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lester | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 103 | #1634 |
| 2024 | 111 | #1563 |
| 2023 | 82 | #1909 |
| 2022 | 96 | #1737 |
| 2021 | 109 | #1583 |
| 2020 | 109 | #1528 |
| 2019 | 100 | #1634 |
| 2018 | 93 | #1687 |
| 2017 | 88 | #1746 |
| 2016 | 105 | #1563 |
| 2015 | 104 | #1555 |
| 2014 | 106 | #1514 |
| 2013 | 125 | #1352 |
| 2012 | 104 | #1535 |
| 2011 | 102 | #1544 |
| 2010 | 118 | #1408 |
| 2009 | 127 | #1353 |
| 2008 | 142 | #1227 |
| 2007 | 120 | #1376 |
| 2006 | 146 | #1154 |
| 2005 | 128 | #1233 |
| 2004 | 137 | #1144 |
| 2003 | 148 | #1049 |
| 2002 | 139 | #1079 |
| 2001 | 142 | #1035 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lester a popular boy name?
Lester ranked #1635 among boys in 2025 with 103 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1555.
When was the name Lester most popular?
Lester peaked in 1918, when 3,229 American boys received the name (ranked #62 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lester?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,476 newborn American boys was named Lester. 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.