Lester

“English surname from the place name Leicester” — Old English (place-name surname, from Leicester) origin

Boy's name · #1634 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Lester has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #52 (1906) · 130,688 babies named Lester all-time · 1 in 17,000 boys born in 2025.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 9 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Lesters

Lester B. Pearson — 14th Prime Minister of Canada, from 1963 to 1968 (1897–1972)
Lester Young — American jazz saxophonist (1909–1959)
Lester del Rey — American science fiction author (1915–1993)
Lester Bird — Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda (1938-2021)
Lester Germer — American physicist (1896–1971)

Among 501 notable people named Lester:

Military figures appear 1.62× more often than among typical names — e.g. Lester Lyles, United States general.

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.