boys' name ★ peaked 1920

Chester

Meaning a town or city, especially a Roman one Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,588 Trend ↑ Rising 12%

From Middle English Chestre, from Old English Ċeaster, from ċeaster (“a town or city, especially a Roman one”).

Rank 2025
#1,588
among boys · ↑64 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
107
named Chester · +5% vs 2024
How common
1 in 15,963
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1920
3,726 babies
All-time total
122,302
#275 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Chester popularity over time

122,302 babies have been named Chester since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
123418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 2,699 2,699 270 – #58
1890s 18 3,021 3,039 304 +13% #57
1900s 42 3,788 3,830 383 +26% #61
1910s 173 23,500 23,673 2,367 +518% #53
1920s 240 28,435 28,675 2,868 +21% #55
1930s 114 14,413 14,527 1,453 -49% #103
1940s 117 15,287 15,404 1,540 +6% #136
1950s 78 12,780 12,858 1,286 -17% #169
1960s 23 6,784 6,807 681 -47% #260
1970s 18 4,132 4,150 415 -39% #357
1980s 5 2,796 2,801 280 -33% #441
1990s – 1,549 1,549 155 -45% #674
2000s – 884 884 88 -43% #1,228
2010s – 840 840 84 -5% #1,625
2020s (to 2025) – 566 566 94 +12% #1,588

Where Chester is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 110 0.06 outside top 500
2027 112 0.07 outside top 500
2028 114 0.07 outside top 500
2029 116 0.07 outside top 500
2030 117 0.07 outside top 500

Where Chester is most popular

Boys named Chester per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.054 per 1,000. Strongest in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Chester born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Wisconsin 23 0.194 +259%
Pennsylvania 29 0.109 +102%
Michigan 18 0.088 +63%
Minnesota 9 0.073 +36%
Iowa 5 0.073 +34%
Ohio 18 0.068 +26%
Texas 35 0.040 -27%
California 33 0.036 -33%
Missouri 5 0.036 -33%
Indiana 5 0.031 -42%
Tennessee 5 0.028 -49%
Florida 8 0.017 -69%
New York 7 0.016 -70%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Chester

Chester is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,588 in 2025 with 107 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 122,302 American babies have been named Chester. Its peak came in 1920, when 3,726 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Chester stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Chester?

The median living Chester is about 68 years old; half are between 52 and 77. An estimated 36 thousand people named Chester are alive in the United States today.

median 68 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Chester year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 107 #1,588
2024 – – 102 #1,652
2023 – – 96 #1,730
2022 – – 94 #1,761
2021 – – 68 #2,113
2020 – – 99 #1,622
2019 – – 91 #1,725
2018 – – 93 #1,689
2017 – – 93 #1,698
2016 – – 76 #1,926
2015 – – 98 #1,625
2014 – – 84 #1,783
2013 – – 78 #1,832
2012 – – 71 #1,986
2011 – – 82 #1,772
2010 – – 74 #1,913
2009 – – 73 #1,943
2008 – – 92 #1,665
2007 – – 81 #1,796
2006 – – 71 #1,895
2005 – – 95 #1,507
2004 – – 90 #1,492
2003 – – 95 #1,400
2002 – – 97 #1,359
2001 – – 81 #1,503
2000 – – 109 #1,228
1995 – – 145 #918
1990 – – 226 #674
1985 – – 264 #536
1980 – – 348 #446
1975 – – 355 #407
1970 6 #7,199 515 #359
1965 – – 629 #299
1960 – – 936 #260
1955 5 #5,967 1,256 #203
1950 8 #4,011 1,378 #169
1945 14 #2,350 1,445 #144
1940 9 #2,994 1,353 #137
1935 9 #2,962 1,432 #121
1930 17 #2,033 1,791 #103
1925 19 #2,043 2,719 #73
1920 28 #1,557 3,698 #55
1915 14 #2,155 3,043 #54
1910 11 #1,440 561 #61
1905 – – 388 #64
1900 7 #1,600 364 #72
1895 – – 377 #57
1890 – – 263 #69
1885 – – 273 #67
1880 – – 168 #85

Famous people named Chester

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Chester A. Arthur Chester A. Arthur President of the United States from 1881 to 1885 1829–1886 · 19th century
  2. 2 Chester Bennington Chester Bennington American singer (1976–2017) Contemporary
  3. 3 Chester W. Nimitz Chester W. Nimitz American naval officer (1885–1966) 19th century
  4. 4 Chester Thompson Chester Thompson American drummer (born 1948) Contemporary
  5. 5 Chester Morris Chester Morris American actor (1901–1970) Contemporary
  6. 6 Chester Himes Chester Himes American novelist (1909–1984) Contemporary
  7. 7 Chester Carlson American physicist and inventor (1906–1968) Contemporary
  8. 8 Chester Conklin Chester Conklin American actor and comedian (1886–1971) 19th century
  9. 9 Chester Barnard Chester Barnard American businessman (1886–1961) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Chester, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Chester?

The median living Chester is about 68 years old. Half of all living Chesters are between 52 and 77 years old.

How many people named Chester are alive today?

An estimated 36 thousand people named Chester are alive in the United States, based on 122,302 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Chester mean?

From Middle English Chestre, from Old English Ċeaster, from ċeaster (“a town or city, especially a Roman one”).

How popular is the name Chester in 2025?

Chester ranked #1,588 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 107 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Chester?

122,302 babies have been named Chester in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chester most popular?

Chester peaked in 1920, when 3,726 newborns received the name.

Is Chester a boy or girl name?

Chester is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Chester rising or falling?

Chester is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Chester become more popular?

Chester is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 117 boys named Chester in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Chester?

Well-known people named Chester include Chester A. Arthur (politician), Chester Bennington (singer), Chester W. Nimitz (military personnel).

Names like Chester

Names that sound and feel close to Chester: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Chester with similar names → More names starting with C →