Lester

Last seen for girls in 1985 at #9,307 · #1,634 for boys in 2025, 103 births
Given to boys 99.0% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1906 · 482 births
Debut · boys
109 births
In top 100 · boys
46 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
130,688
since 1880

Lester over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201962peak #52, 1906boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#1,634103
2024—#1,563111
2023—#1,90982
2022—#1,73796
2021—#1,583109
2020—#1,528109
2019—#1,634100
2018—#1,68793
2017—#1,74688
2016—#1,563105
2015—#1,555104
2014—#1,514106
2013—#1,352125
2012—#1,535104
2011—#1,544102
2010—#1,408118
2009—#1,353127
2008—#1,227142
2007—#1,376120
2006—#1,154146
2005—#1,233128
2004—#1,144137
2003—#1,049148
2002—#1,079139
2001—#1,035142
2000—#1,015144
1999—#873173
1998—#1,017133
1997—#852166
1996—#832172
1995—#801179
1994—#728207
1993—#648252
1992—#654251
1991—#601287
1990—#631260
1989—#547314
1988—#519309
1987—#548277
1986—#504302
1985#9,3076#485321
1984#10,4225#450346
1983—#409399
1982—#418400
1981—#387436
1980#9,0956#370466
1979#8,0617#390422
1978#9,7505#392387
1977#7,5677#366453
1976#8,1566#350475
1975—#344497
1974—#355471
1973#8,4235#337504
1972#6,5587#311589
1971—#308632
1970#5,4139#297680
1969#5,0579#277718
1968—#266747
1967#4,9828#269731
1966#4,8668#261771
1965#4,8318#237956
1964#3,69213#2431,000
1963#3,17616#2261,101
1962#4,8658#2291,117
1961#3,79312#2181,284
1960#3,68812#2131,316
1959#3,10415#2111,335
1958#3,23214#1921,466
1957#4,2029#1831,636
1956#3,18614#1761,702
1955#2,97115#1681,691
1954#2,69517#1641,758
1953#2,69916#1571,776
1952#2,32720#1581,724
1951#2,93713#1511,722
1950#2,78114#1481,758
1949#2,62015#1491,752
1948#2,82813#1491,781
1947#2,63715#1421,944
1946#3,21710#1451,669
1945#2,45813#1311,618
1944#2,51113#1261,651
1943#1,94920#1251,764
1942#2,41614#1261,749
1941#2,09616#1251,563
1940#1,84519#1161,591
1939#2,41712#1161,549
1938#1,87318#1151,604
1937#2,44812#1161,576
1936#1,87317#1151,546
1935#1,84518#1141,626
1934#1,83418#1101,687
1933#1,77319#1081,644
1932#1,87718#1011,813
1931#1,54924#961,919
1930#1,60724#952,020
1929#1,39330#882,106
1928#1,33833#892,229
1927#1,23340#832,440
1926#1,44931#782,539
1925#1,84722#812,559
1924#1,40934#722,780
1923#1,30536#712,765
1922#1,28537#692,951
1921#1,40933#663,076
1920#1,37533#693,068
1919#1,29735#623,020
1918#1,25536#623,229
1917#1,21935#612,854
1916#1,58123#592,907
1915#1,33928#572,943
1914#2,00912#572,164
1913#1,40517#591,736
1912#1,17820#581,443
1911#1,9567#65657
1910#1,52110#64556
1909#1,36910#61501
1908#1,13513#60509
1907#1,3849#58491
1906#1,7276#52482
1905#87218#57432
1904#1,09211#61398
1903#1,3188#53400
1902#97213#58385
1901#1,4666#61332
1900#1,23110#60431
1899#1,03410#65290
1898#1,1719#70298
1897#1,1678#61310
1896#1,2138#65318
1895#1,5925#68295
1894—#69291
1893#1,4375#77243
1892#95810#80240
1891—#83191
1890#1,3385#76226
1889#1,2795#82213
1888—#97189
1887—#89168
1886#9936#98160
1885—#101141
1884—#118123
1883—#111116
1882—#109134
1881—#14287
1880—#121109
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Lester was already there! It came in at #121, and was given to 109 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2014–2025, when fewer than 120 boys a year got the name.

Where Lester is popular in 1962

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedAKMaine: #151 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,070 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedNHWashington: #254 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,350 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedIDMontana: #172 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 926 boysMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #293 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 5,064 boysMNIllinois: #213 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 1,778 boysILWisconsin: #232 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 3,034 boysWIMichigan: #217 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 2,104 boysMINew York: #307 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 3,719 boysNYMassachusetts: #211 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 3,278 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedRIOregon: #290 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,868 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedNVWyoming: #154 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 657 boysWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedSDIowa: #264 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,908 boysIAIndiana: #242 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 2,489 boysINOhio: #203 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 1,788 boysOHPennsylvania: #170 for boys · 69 births · 1 in 1,608 boysPANew Jersey: #192 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 1,809 boysNJConnecticut: #218 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,598 boysCTCalifornia: #295 for boys · 70 births · 1 in 2,672 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedUTColorado: #329 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,081 boysCONebraska: #221 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,020 boysNEMissouri: #234 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 2,113 boysMOKentucky: #160 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 1,034 boysKYWest Virginia: #203 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,769 boysWVVirginia: #225 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,801 boysVAMaryland: #181 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 1,267 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Lester, so not publishedDEArizona: #204 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,127 boysAZNew Mexico: #241 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,327 boysNMKansas: #211 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,465 boysKSArkansas: #234 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,631 boysARTennessee: #177 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 1,139 boysTNNorth Carolina: #220 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 1,608 boysNCSouth Carolina: #174 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 939 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #231 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,809 boysDCOklahoma: #295 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,617 boysOKLouisiana: #157 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 763 boysLAMississippi: #112 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 516 boysMSAlabama: #183 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 1,070 boysALGeorgia: #225 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 1,465 boysGAHawaii: #170 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 757 boysHITexas: #286 for boys · 67 births · 1 in 1,781 boysTXFlorida: #177 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 1,084 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#112 · 1 in 516
  2. Maine#151 · 1 in 1,070
  3. Wyoming#154 · 1 in 657
  4. Louisiana#157 · 1 in 763
  5. Kentucky#160 · 1 in 1,034

Best ever in a state: #21 in Wyoming, 1913.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#112521 in 516
Maine#151101 in 1,070
Wyoming#15451 in 657
Louisiana#157531 in 763
Kentucky#160331 in 1,034
Hawaii#170101 in 757
Pennsylvania#170691 in 1,608
Montana#17281 in 926
South Carolina#174291 in 939
Florida#177501 in 1,084
Tennessee#177341 in 1,139
Maryland#181251 in 1,267
Alabama#183341 in 1,070
New Jersey#192341 in 1,809
Ohio#203591 in 1,788
West Virginia#203101 in 1,769
Arizona#204151 in 1,127
Kansas#211151 in 1,465
Massachusetts#211171 in 3,278
Illinois#213621 in 1,778
Michigan#217421 in 2,104
Connecticut#218101 in 2,598
North Carolina#220321 in 1,608
Nebraska#22181 in 2,020
Georgia#225321 in 1,465
Virginia#225241 in 1,801
District of Columbia#23181 in 1,809
Wisconsin#232151 in 3,034
Arkansas#234121 in 1,631
Missouri#234221 in 2,113
New Mexico#241101 in 1,327
Indiana#242211 in 2,489
Washington#254131 in 2,350
Iowa#264101 in 2,908
Texas#286671 in 1,781
Oregon#29061 in 2,868
Minnesota#29381 in 5,064
California#295701 in 2,672
Oklahoma#29591 in 2,617
New York#307471 in 3,719
Colorado#32971 in 3,081
Alaska———
Delaware———
Idaho———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Lester
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 71 spots since 2024 (#1,563 → #1,634)
  • 106 spots since 2020 (#1,528 → #1,634)
  • 79 spots since 2015 (#1,555 → #1,634)
  • Biggest jump: 144 spots in 1999 (#1,017 → #873)
  • Biggest drop: 165 spots in 1998 (#852 → #1,017)
Rise & fade · boys
26 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1906 at #52 (482 births)
  • Births halved by 1994, 88 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 46 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 46 yrs · run 1886–1931
  • Top 1,000: 119 yrs · run 1880–1997
Share of babies · boys
1 in 276
  • Highest: 1 in 276 boys born in 1906 were named Lester (0.36%)
  • Latest: 1 in 16,583 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 20.3% of all boys named Lester (26,513) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,440#82 (1889)#107
1890s2,702#61 (1897)#71
1900s4,361#52 (1906)#58
1910s21,509#57 (1915)#60
1920s26,513#66 (1921)#77
1930s16,984#95 (1930)#109
1940s17,082#116 (1940)#133
1950s16,568#148 (1950)#171
1960s9,741#213 (1960)#244
1970s5,110#297 (1970)#345
1980s3,570#370 (1980)#464
1990s2,080#601 (1991)#764
2000s1,373#1,015 (2000)#1,167
2010s1,045#1,352 (2013)#1,554
2020s610#1,528 (2020)#1,659

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Lester in 1962

girls
#4,865
8 births · 1 in 245,825 girls
boys
#229
1,117 births · 1 in 1,852 boys

Top girls' names in 1962

  1. #1Lisa46,069
  2. #2Mary43,502
  3. #3Susan35,752
  4. #4Karen35,184
  5. #5Linda31,461
  6. #6Patricia26,532
  7. #7Donna25,719
  8. #8Cynthia24,025
  9. #9Deborah22,889
  10. #10Sandra22,420
  11. #4,865Lester8

Top boys' names in 1962

  1. #1Michael85,059
  2. #2David81,337
  3. #3John78,427
  4. #4James72,555
  5. #5Robert70,199
  6. #6Mark53,520
  7. #7William44,853
  8. #8Richard39,422
  9. #9Thomas36,529
  10. #10Jeffrey33,537
  11. #229Lester1,117
More about 1962

girls

1,966,603 girls got a published name in 1962; 1 in 245,825 of them was named Lester, which outranked 35.9% of the 7,584 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 15.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Lester
  1. #4,533Zetta9
  2. #4,533Zettie9
  3. #4,533Ziva9
  4. #4,865Lester8
  5. #4,865Abagail8
  6. #4,865Adonica8
  7. #4,865Adrina8
  8. #5,293Adalia7
  9. #5,293Adel7
  10. #5,293Adraine7

Tied with 427 names at #4,865; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1961
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,281Tiffany#2,070 → #789
  2. ↑ 879Whitney#1,627 → #748
  3. ↑ 541Zina#1,533 → #992
  4. ↑ 414Glynis#1,406 → #992
  5. ↑ 408Lolita#978 → #570
Fallers
  1. ↓ 300Fern#821 → #1,121
  2. ↓ 259Jacklyn#815 → #1,074
  3. ↓ 255Dorthy#929 → #1,184
  4. ↓ 224Laurene#943 → #1,167
  5. ↓ 215Jimmie#911 → #1,126

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,068,772 boys got a published name in 1962; 1 in 1,852 of them was named Lester, which outranked 95.1% of the 4,631 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Lester
  1. #226Ross1,134
  2. #227Rex1,133
  3. #228Gerard1,121
  4. #229Lester1,117
  5. #229Chuck1,117
  6. #231Milton1,113
  7. #232Leo1,100
  8. #233Wendell1,092

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1961
Risers
  1. ↑ 490Ritchie#1,262 → #772
  2. ↑ 353King#1,349 → #996
  3. ↑ 338Arlie#1,322 → #984
  4. ↑ 250Robb#1,052 → #802
  5. ↑ 243Pernell#928 → #685
Fallers
  1. ↓ 351Mariano#928 → #1,279
  2. ↓ 349Michal#910 → #1,259
  3. ↓ 337Loran#958 → #1,295
  4. ↓ 292Sid#967 → #1,259
  5. ↓ 275Lorenza#940 → #1,215

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1962 →