Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1991

Nestor

Meaning Nestor, or Néstor, is a given name of Greek origin Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,535 Trend → Stable

Nestor, or Néstor, is a given name of Greek origin.

Rank 2025
#1,535
among boys · ↑183 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
113
named Nestor · +16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 15,116
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1991
300 babies
All-time total
10,430
#1,179 all-time among boys
First recorded
1885
in Social Security records

Nestor popularity over time

10,430 babies have been named Nestor since 1885, 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
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1992Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 5 1 – #1,044
1890s 17 2 +240% #948
1900s 26 3 +53% #979
1910s 185 19 +612% #1,177
1920s 257 26 +39% #1,260
1930s 217 22 -16% #1,262
1940s 214 21 -1% #1,370
1950s 404 40 +89% #991
1960s 536 54 +33% #964
1970s 768 77 +43% #876
1980s 1,452 145 +89% #620
1990s 2,587 259 +78% #587
2000s 2,023 202 -22% #727
2010s 1,179 118 -42% #1,130
2020s (to 2025) 560 93 -21% #1,535

Where Nestor 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 114 0.07 outside top 500
2027 115 0.07 outside top 500
2028 116 0.07 outside top 500
2029 117 0.07 outside top 500
2030 118 0.07 outside top 500

Where Nestor is most popular

Boys named Nestor per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.055 per 1,000. Strongest in California, Texas, and Arizona.

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 Nestor 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
California 115 0.126 +131%
Texas 103 0.117 +114%
Arizona 16 0.098 +79%
Florida 16 0.034 -38%
New York 6 0.014 -75%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
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 Nestor

Nestor is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,535 in 2025 with 113 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1885, 10,430 American babies have been named Nestor. Its peak came in 1991, when 300 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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 Nestor stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nestor?

The median living Nestor is about 30 years old; half are between 19 and 39. An estimated 9,200 people named Nestor are alive in the United States today.

median 30 020406080100

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

Nestor year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 113 #1,535
2024 97 #1,718
2023 91 #1,782
2022 76 #2,018
2021 94 #1,734
2020 89 #1,740
2019 108 #1,558
2018 96 #1,667
2017 126 #1,398
2016 107 #1,552
2015 125 #1,386
2014 108 #1,502
2013 106 #1,526
2012 115 #1,445
2011 123 #1,370
2010 165 #1,130
2009 157 #1,159
2008 194 #1,006
2007 209 #947
2006 201 #935
2005 226 #829
2004 197 #882
2003 189 #891
2002 196 #847
2001 218 #779
2000 236 #727
1995 253 #657
1990 264 #624
1985 139 #757
1980 106 #866
1975 56 #1,134
1970 79 #903
1965 42 #1,182
1960 51 #1,092
1955 34 #1,305
1950 27 #1,414
1945 19 #1,564
1940 19 #1,609
1935 24 #1,414
1930 32 #1,271
1925 27 #1,441
1920 19 #1,860
1915 31 #1,177
1910 7 #1,384
1905 5 #1,367
1900 – –
1895 7 #948
1890 – –
1885 5 #1,044
1880 – –

Famous people named Nestor

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

  1. 1 Nestor Makhno Nestor Makhno Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary (1888–1934) 19th century
  2. 2 Nestor Nestor Greek mythological figure
  3. 3 Nestor Lakoba Nestor Lakoba Abkhazian communist leader 1893–1936 · 19th century
  4. 4 Nestor the Chronicler Nestor the Chronicler Monk chronicler of Kievan Rus' 1056–1106 · Medieval
  5. 5 Nestor Khergiani Georgian judoka (born 1975) Contemporary
  6. 6 Nestor Omar Piccoli Argentine footballer b. 1965 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nestor?

The median living Nestor is about 30 years old. Half of all living Nestors are between 19 and 39 years old.

How many people named Nestor are alive today?

An estimated 9,200 people named Nestor are alive in the United States, based on 10,430 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nestor mean?

Nestor, or Néstor, is a given name of Greek origin.

How popular is the name Nestor in 2025?

Nestor ranked #1,535 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 113 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nestor?

10,430 babies have been named Nestor in the United States since 1885, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nestor most popular?

Nestor peaked in 1991, when 300 newborns received the name.

Is Nestor a boy or girl name?

Nestor is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nestor rising or falling?

Nestor has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Nestor become more popular?

Nestor looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 118 boys named Nestor in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Nestor?

Well-known people named Nestor include Nestor Makhno (military personnel), Nestor (politician), Nestor Lakoba (politician).

Names like Nestor

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

Compare Nestor with similar names → More names starting with N →