Lester
Every Lester since 1880 — 132,047 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Lester
Lester is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,641 in 2025 with 103 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 132,047 American babies have been named Lester. Its peak came in 1918, when 3,265 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.
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 Lester stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Lester 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 | — | — | 103 | #1,641 |
| 2024 | — | — | 111 | #1,568 |
| 2023 | — | — | 82 | #1,921 |
| 2022 | — | — | 96 | #1,744 |
| 2021 | — | — | 109 | #1,588 |
| 2020 | — | — | 109 | #1,533 |
| 2019 | — | — | 100 | #1,639 |
| 2018 | — | — | 93 | #1,695 |
| 2017 | — | — | 88 | #1,760 |
| 2016 | — | — | 105 | #1,570 |
| 2015 | — | — | 104 | #1,561 |
| 2014 | — | — | 106 | #1,520 |
| 2013 | — | — | 125 | #1,359 |
| 2012 | — | — | 104 | #1,537 |
| 2011 | — | — | 102 | #1,556 |
| 2010 | — | — | 118 | #1,411 |
| 2009 | — | — | 127 | #1,358 |
| 2008 | — | — | 142 | #1,231 |
| 2007 | — | — | 120 | #1,379 |
| 2006 | — | — | 146 | #1,159 |
| 2005 | — | — | 128 | #1,239 |
| 2004 | — | — | 137 | #1,148 |
| 2003 | — | — | 148 | #1,053 |
| 2002 | — | — | 139 | #1,081 |
| 2001 | — | — | 142 | #1,039 |
| 2000 | — | — | 144 | #1,019 |
| 1995 | — | — | 179 | #801 |
| 1990 | — | — | 260 | #631 |
| 1985 | 6 | #10,045 | 321 | #485 |
| 1980 | 6 | #9,759 | 466 | #370 |
| 1975 | — | — | 497 | #344 |
| 1970 | 9 | #5,624 | 680 | #297 |
| 1965 | 8 | #5,088 | 956 | #237 |
| 1960 | 12 | #3,819 | 1,316 | #213 |
| 1955 | 15 | #3,046 | 1,691 | #168 |
| 1950 | 14 | #2,843 | 1,758 | #148 |
| 1945 | 13 | #2,541 | 1,618 | #131 |
| 1940 | 19 | #1,872 | 1,591 | #116 |
| 1935 | 18 | #1,883 | 1,626 | #114 |
| 1930 | 24 | #1,638 | 2,020 | #95 |
| 1925 | 22 | #1,872 | 2,559 | #81 |
| 1920 | 33 | #1,390 | 3,068 | #69 |
| 1915 | 28 | #1,354 | 2,943 | #57 |
| 1910 | 10 | #1,578 | 556 | #64 |
| 1905 | 18 | #887 | 432 | #57 |
| 1900 | 10 | #1,276 | 431 | #60 |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,722 | 295 | #68 |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,431 | 226 | #76 |
| 1885 | — | — | 141 | #102 |
| 1880 | — | — | 109 | #121 |
Famous people named Lester
- Lester Young Musician · 1909–1959
- Lester B. Pearson Politician · 1897–1972
- Lester Germer Physicist · 1896–1971
- Lester Allan Pelton Inventor · 1829–1908
- Lester R. Brown Social activist · b. 1934
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Lester in 2025?
Lester ranked #1,641 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 103 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Lester?
132,047 babies have been named Lester in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Lester most popular?
Lester peaked in 1918, when 3,265 newborns received the name.
Is Lester a boy or girl name?
Lester is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Lester rising or falling?
Lester has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Lester?
Well-known people named Lester include Lester Young (musician), Lester B. Pearson (politician), Lester Germer (physicist).