Leicester as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Leicester

What is the meaning of the name Leicester ?

The baby name Leicester is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /ˈlɛstər/; respelling: 'LES-ter' (commonly pronounced 'Lester').

Leicester is English in Origin.

Leicester (pronounced LES-ter) is an English toponymic name from the city of Leicester. Its etymology joins Old English Ligore, “people of the River Ligor” (an early name of the Soar), with ceaster, from Latin castra “Roman fort, camp,” yielding the sense “Roman fort of the Ligore.” It first functioned as a locational surname and later as a given name.

As a forename it appears in Britain and the United States from the late 18th–19th centuries, bolstered by the title Earl of Leicester (notably borne by Robert Dudley at Elizabeth I’s court). The streamlined spelling Lester became the dominant variant and an independent given name; rarer forms include Leister and Lyster. Nickname Les. Leicester remains uncommon today but appeals to those who like aristocratic and historical place-names.

⚙ Leicester is a rare name. It doesn't appear in any of the major national birth registries we track; we found only 35 recorded uses across 17 countries. Expect very few children to share this name.