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BabyNames
Boy name#258 of boy names

Lester

Pronounced L EH1 S T ER0 (ARPABET)

  • 2 syllables
  • Peaked 1918
  • 145 years in use
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How popular is Lester?

Lester is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 132,043 children — the 258th most common boys' name on record.

It has been slipping, down 21% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1918, when 3,229 children were given it.

01,2502,5003,7505,00018901920195019802010
1918Boys: 3,229Girls: 36

Characteristics

  • 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
L EH1 S T ER0
Stress pattern:
10
Syllables:
2

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Lester

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Lester

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Lester?
Lester ranks 258th among boys' names in US records, with 132,043 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 992.
Is Lester a unisex name?
No. Lester is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Lester most popular?
1918, when 3,229 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.