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Lester as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Lester

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The baby name Lester is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈlɛstər/ (LES-ter).

Lester is English in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈlɛstər/ (LES-ter)

What is the meaning of the name Lester ?

The baby name Lester is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈlɛstər/ (LES-ter).

Lester is English in Origin.

Lester is an English surname-turned-given name, pronounced LES-ter. It most often denotes someone “from Leicester,” the Midlands city whose name ultimately traces to Latin castra, “camp/fort,” combined with an early tribal river-name; thus the sense “from the (Roman) fortified place.” A secondary line of origin links Lester to Lister/Lyster, from Middle English litster, “dyer,” yielding the occupational meaning “cloth-dyer.”

As a first name, Lester gained currency in Britain and the United States in the mid-19th century and peaked around the early 1900s, fitting the era’s taste for solid, surname-style choices. It endures in cultural memory through figures such as jazz great Lester Young, Canadian statesman Lester B. Pearson, and broadcaster Lester Holt. Common short form is Les; rare spellings include Lestor. Related surnominal variants include Leicester, Lister, and Lyster.

Lester has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Lester

Lester B. Pearson Politician · Born 1897 · Canada Lester B. Pearson was a Canadian politician best known for serving as the 14th Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He played a significant role in establishing the United Nations peacekeeping forces and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his efforts in resolving the Suez Canal Crisis. Lester Young Musician · Born 1909 · United States Lester Young was a hugely influential American jazz tenor saxophonist, best known for his cool, lyrical playing style and his time with Count Basie's orchestra. Nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez," he helped shape jazz through performances on pieces like "Lester Leaps In," "Taxi War Dance," and "Shoe Shine Boy." Lester Bangs Musician · Born 1948 · United States Lester Bangs was an American music journalist and critic best known for his influential, passionate writing about rock music. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone and also performed as a musician.
Lester Holt Musician · Born 1959 · United States Lester Holt is best known as a prominent American TV journalist and anchor. He led the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News, has anchored Dateline NBC, and also appeared on NBC Nightly News Kids Edition.

Lester – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 1979 #1 — 346
HN 0 #21 2 704
SV Boys 0 #28 1 352
NA 0 #31 3 2,537
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
HN Boys 0 #41 12 749
MO 0 #50 3 2,706
PR 0 #53 3 1,497
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
PH 0 #73 24 5,607
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
JM 0 #90 4 3,714
GT Boys 0 #102 1,185 7,625
QA 0 #103 4 7,011
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
OM 0 #114 8 6,215
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
PA 0 #134 5 3,797
BN Boys 0 #135 5 6,332
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
PR Boys 0 #156 19 2,508
GT 0 #157 176 5,948
CR 0 #160 6 5,526
PH Boys 0 #162 271 11,440
AE 0 #164 14 10,220
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
HU Boys 0 #173 2 3,954
Sweden Boys 2020 #176 2 1,548
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
MO Boys 0 #200 24 5,842
SG 0 #213 57 11,010
JM Boys 0 #219 54 6,876
TW Boys 0 #219 23 7,111
EC Boys 0 #225 15 3,322
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
CR Boys 0 #240 333 10,188
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
NA Boys 0 #249 5 6,830
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
SA 0 #281 15 10,560
MY 0 #293 38 12,352
CN Boys 0 #294 26 9,639
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
JP Boys 0 #297 7 7,909
Canada Boys 2023 #305 5 2,601
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
PA Boys 0 #305 200 9,305
HK 0 #318 31 8,483
PE 0 #323 7 6,350
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
PL Boys 0 #337 4 6,459
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
GH Boys 0 #357 5 8,138
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
SG Boys 0 #371 380 17,960
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
UY Boys 0 #386 14 5,922
ZA 0 #387 61 14,421
HK Boys 0 #393 138 12,905
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
CL 0 #401 11 6,867
France Boys 2005 #403 3 2,632
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
Finland Boys 0 #418 10 2,041
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
PH Girls 0 #422 8 13,098
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
GT Girls 0 #496 10 7,500
CL Boys 0 #504 167 13,390
CO 0 #504 7 7,768
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Boys 0 #521 6 12,621
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
PS Boys 0 #536 13 10,655
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
BH 0 #538 16 17,937
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
KW Girls 0 #557 5 19,177
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BO Boys 0 #577 16 9,244
AE Girls 0 #596 2 20,968
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
IL Boys 0 #619 7 10,983
SG Girls 0 #627 6 18,916
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
HK Girls 0 #649 2 16,104
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
QA Boys 0 #657 51 18,093
PE Boys 0 #665 222 14,506
LB 0 #689 2 13,263
ZA Boys 0 #692 562 25,619
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
KW Boys 0 #718 52 18,755
MY Boys 0 #722 417 25,439
BR Boys 0 #740 12 12,213
CO Boys 0 #759 163 15,656
United States Boys 2024 #784 109 7,044
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
Spain Boys 0 #837 94 5,610
NL Boys 0 #844 108 5,873
OM Boys 0 #845 37 17,948
MX Boys 0 #860 123 16,355
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
CL Girls 0 #912 4 14,098
SA Girls 0 #920 16 25,931
EG Boys 0 #924 2 15,035
Germany Boys 0 #941 12 5,697
AE Boys 0 #991 102 22,615
NG Boys 0 #994 8 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,009 2 14,861
IN Boys 0 #1,033 7 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,049 30 16,140
MY Girls 0 #1,064 9 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,110 32 25,928
MA 0 #1,194 6 20,986
DZ 0 #1,230 5 20,130
TR 0 #1,253 2 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,264 4 17,781
SA Boys 0 #1,318 298 28,008
IT Boys 0 #1,333 139 10,046

Lester is popular in 73 countries — most recent births per country:

Canada
United States
France
Ireland
Sweden

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People also ask about Lester

Lester is predominantly a boy's name.
Lester is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈlɛstər/ (LES-ter).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Les (short form), Lestor (rare spelling), Lesther (rare spelling) and Lesley/Leslie (related).
Across languages, Lester has these equivalents: Leicester (place name), Lister (related surname).
Yes, very popular — Lester ranked #1 in Ireland in 1979, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Lester ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 1979).
Lester's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #321 in 2013 to #305 in 2023 in Canada.
Yes — 4 notable people named Lester are in our database, including Lester B. Pearson (Politician), Lester Young (Musician), Lester Bangs (Musician).