Sylvester

Last seen for girls in 1981 at #9,110 · #2,207 for boys in 2025, 64 births
Given to boys 98.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1889 · 112 births
Debut · boys
89 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
43,230
since 1880

Sylvester over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Sylvester has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201913peak #126, 1889boys
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—#2,20764
2024—#2,09871
2023—#2,14767
2022—#2,09471
2021—#2,10968
2020—#2,46752
2019—#1,97474
2018—#2,12266
2017—#2,06567
2016—#2,08667
2015—#1,98373
2014—#1,92075
2013—#1,86676
2012—#2,27057
2011—#2,17360
2010—#2,14462
2009—#2,05067
2008—#2,06267
2007—#2,16462
2006—#1,79077
2005—#1,88967
2004—#1,91164
2003—#1,53883
2002—#1,57178
2001—#1,51480
2000—#1,39190
1999—#1,32091
1998—#1,41880
1997—#1,169103
1996—#1,23690
1995—#1,010121
1994—#963131
1993—#893143
1992—#1,017115
1991—#904135
1990—#712203
1989—#708193
1988—#662203
1987—#646199
1986—#634199
1985—#632194
1984—#584209
1983—#628184
1982—#584218
1981#9,1106#584215
1980—#613204
1979—#537249
1978—#561223
1977—#570217
1976—#590190
1975—#544218
1974—#575195
1973—#502241
1972#8,2925#529224
1971#6,6197#473291
1970#6,3627#515245
1969—#499241
1968#7,0165#470259
1967#5,4577#439293
1966—#423326
1965—#397388
1964—#405390
1963#5,2967#374454
1962#6,5785#373467
1961—#349518
1960#6,3905#347504
1959#4,6258#326559
1958—#316582
1957—#312604
1956#5,3256#297621
1955#3,77810#283644
1954#4,6557#278640
1953#3,9559#276635
1952#4,4837#280603
1951—#266640
1950#3,05212#256643
1949—#277588
1948#3,8838#271600
1947#5,2955#281596
1946—#278538
1945#4,0256#258508
1944—#250534
1943#3,2499#272501
1942—#267498
1941#3,0309#237538
1940#3,5037#257460
1939#2,20614#244472
1938#3,4507#237503
1937#2,9409#244476
1936—#237482
1935#2,57511#224529
1934#2,56711#232497
1933#2,8689#232495
1932#2,83110#216561
1931#2,9729#226525
1930#2,30614#217599
1929#2,19115#224570
1928#2,28415#219599
1927#2,25616#218611
1926#1,58927#201688
1925#2,61713#203691
1924#2,13718#198708
1923#1,89521#190725
1922#2,61213#194707
1921#2,19517#185755
1920#2,73112#174807
1919#1,74522#173749
1918#1,88720#172766
1917#1,55224#175715
1916#3,0319#172715
1915#2,9009#163706
1914#2,4349#164538
1913#2,3318#157464
1912#2,9795#167348
1911#2,1916#154219
1910#1,52110#154200
1909#1,9576#164151
1908#1,4399#143166
1907#1,5128#149151
1906#1,4168#156125
1905—#160126
1904#1,09211#154124
1903#1,7925#156114
1902#1,5946#141135
1901#1,2278#138120
1900#1,5617#160131
1899—#16094
1898—#147115
1897—#144111
1896—#148111
1895—#15899
1894#1,2377#152101
1893—#17085
1892#1,2786#16198
1891—#19464
1890#1,2106#15193
1889—#126112
1888—#17783
1887—#17771
1886—#18273
1885—#16282
1884—#19967
1883—#17769
1882—#18274
1881—#15976
1880—#15389
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Sylvester was already there! It came in at #153, and was given to 89 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2004–2025, when fewer than 78 boys a year got the name.

Where Sylvester is popular in 1913

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #88 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 430 boysMNIllinois: #185 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,489 boysILWisconsin: #60 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 216 boysWIMichigan: #192 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,307 boysMINew York: #211 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 2,194 boysNYMassachusetts: #229 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,933 boysMARhode Island: #88 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 479 boysRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedSDIowa: #173 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,138 boysIAIndiana: #148 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 977 boysINOhio: #186 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,696 boysOHPennsylvania: #129 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 1,101 boysPANew Jersey: #200 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,709 boysNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedUTColorado: #120 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 634 boysCONebraska: #151 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 827 boysNEMissouri: #163 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,073 boysMOKentucky: #262 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,126 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedWVVirginia: #169 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,127 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedNMKansas: #157 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 921 boysKSArkansas: #173 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 866 boysARTennessee: #150 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 891 boysTNNorth Carolina: #131 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 713 boysNCSouth Carolina: #106 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 612 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #220 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,259 boysOKLouisiana: #111 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 533 boysLAMississippi: #82 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 388 boysMSAlabama: #131 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 742 boysALGeorgia: #100 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 548 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Sylvester, so not publishedHITexas: #279 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,721 boysTXFlorida: #76 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 341 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Wisconsin#60 · 1 in 216
  2. Florida#76 · 1 in 341
  3. Mississippi#82 · 1 in 388
  4. Minnesota#88 · 1 in 430
  5. Rhode Island#88 · 1 in 479

Best ever in a state: #58 in Mississippi, 1920.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Wisconsin#60461 in 216
Florida#76141 in 341
Mississippi#82261 in 388
Minnesota#88211 in 430
Rhode Island#8851 in 479
Georgia#100301 in 548
South Carolina#106161 in 612
Louisiana#111171 in 533
Colorado#12051 in 634
Pennsylvania#129381 in 1,101
Alabama#131171 in 742
North Carolina#131201 in 713
Indiana#148111 in 977
Tennessee#150121 in 891
Nebraska#15171 in 827
Kansas#15781 in 921
Missouri#163131 in 1,073
Virginia#169101 in 1,127
Arkansas#17391 in 866
Iowa#17381 in 1,138
Illinois#185191 in 1,489
Ohio#186131 in 1,696
Michigan#19291 in 1,307
New Jersey#20051 in 2,709
New York#211221 in 2,194
Oklahoma#22071 in 1,259
Massachusetts#22961 in 2,933
Kentucky#26251 in 2,126
Texas#279141 in 1,721
Alaska———
Arizona———
California———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Maryland———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

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 Sylvester
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 109 spots since 2024 (#2,098 → #2,207)
  • 260 spots since 2020 (#2,467 → #2,207)
  • 224 spots since 2015 (#1,983 → #2,207)
  • Biggest jump: 124 spots in 1993 (#1,017 → #893)
  • Biggest drop: 192 spots in 1991 (#712 → #904)
Rise & fade · boys
9 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1889 at #126 (112 births)
  • Births halved by 2020, 131 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 114 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 114 yrs · run 1880–1991
Share of babies · boys
1 in 887
  • Highest: 1 in 887 boys born in 1901 were named Sylvester (0.11%)
  • Latest: 1 in 26,689 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #126 in 1889, was only 1 in 987 (0.10%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 15.9% of all boys named Sylvester (6,861) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s796#126 (1889)#169
1890s971#144 (1897)#159
1900s1,343#138 (1901)#152
1910s5,420#154 (1911)#165
1920s6,861#174 (1920)#201
1930s5,139#216 (1932)#231
1940s5,361#237 (1941)#265
1950s6,171#256 (1950)#289
1960s3,840#347 (1960)#408
1970s2,293#473 (1971)#540
1980s2,018#584 (1982)#628
1990s1,212#712 (1990)#1,064
2000s735#1,391 (2000)#1,788
2010s677#1,866 (2013)#2,060
2020s393#2,094 (2022)#2,187

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.

Sylvester in 1913

girls
#2,331
8 births · 1 in 78,068 girls
boys
#157
464 births · 1 in 1,105 boys

Top girls' names in 1913

  1. #1Mary36,642
  2. #2Helen18,888
  3. #3Dorothy14,674
  4. #4Margaret14,486
  5. #5Ruth12,609
  6. #6Mildred9,921
  7. #7Anna9,687
  8. #8Elizabeth9,505
  9. #9Frances7,694
  10. #10Marie7,353
  11. #2,331Sylvester8

Top boys' names in 1913

  1. #1John29,329
  2. #2William23,538
  3. #3James20,832
  4. #4Robert15,684
  5. #5Joseph14,471
  6. #6George13,874
  7. #7Charles13,191
  8. #8Edward9,474
  9. #9Frank9,237
  10. #10Thomas7,096
  11. #157Sylvester464
More about 1913

girls

624,546 girls got a published name in 1913; 1 in 78,068 of them was named Sylvester, which outranked 37.1% of the 3,707 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvester
  1. #2,164Wilsie9
  2. #2,164Zellie9
  3. #2,164Zilla9
  4. #2,331Sylvester8
  5. #2,331Adena8
  6. #2,331Aino8
  7. #2,331Ala8
  8. #2,540Adelaida7
  9. #2,540Adelyne7
  10. #2,540Ader7

Tied with 208 names at #2,331; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1912
Risers
  1. ↑ 963Dominga#1,844 → #881
  2. ↑ 931Stacia#1,844 → #913
  3. ↑ 576Olympia#1,477 → #901
  4. ↑ 559Lilah#1,540 → #981
  5. ↑ 445Elfrieda#1,297 → #852
Fallers
  1. ↓ 806Karen#960 → #1,766
  2. ↓ 572Erie#833 → #1,405
  3. ↓ 559Gertha#846 → #1,405
  4. ↓ 527Lossie#938 → #1,465
  5. ↓ 505Ardelia#960 → #1,465

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

boys

512,566 boys got a published name in 1913; 1 in 1,105 of them was named Sylvester, which outranked 95.2% of the 3,261 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvester
  1. #154Jim473
  2. #155Dale472
  3. #156Bill466
  4. #157Sylvester464
  5. #158Jimmie452
  6. #159Bennie446
  7. #160Calvin440
Biggest movers since 1912
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,050Mathias#1,885 → #835
  2. ↑ 935Hymen#1,885 → #950
  3. ↑ 796Waldemar#1,746 → #950
  4. ↑ 751Rolf#1,746 → #995
  5. ↑ 689Domenico#1,619 → #930
Fallers
  1. ↓ 975Holland#970 → #1,945
  2. ↓ 885Cameron#918 → #1,803
  3. ↓ 868Larue#935 → #1,803
  4. ↓ 726Irene#854 → #1,580
  5. ↓ 688Hughie#892 → #1,580

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

See the top 100 for 1913 →