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Sylvester as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sylvester

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The baby name Sylvester is a Boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced SIL-ves-ter.

Sylvester is Latin in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 3
Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SIL-ves-ter

What is the meaning of the name Sylvester ?

The baby name Sylvester is a boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced SIL-ves-ter.

Sylvester is Latin in Origin.

Sylvester is the post-classical spelling of Latin Silvester, a Roman cognomen and later Christian given name formed from the adjective silvestris or silvester. Its base is silva, woodland or forest, with an adjectival suffix indicating belonging or relation, so the literal sense is of the woods, wooded, or wild. Classical Latin used i; the y spelling arose after Greek-influenced spellings blurred with medieval Latin practice.

The name’s Christian profile rests chiefly on Pope Sylvester I, bishop of Rome under Constantine, and later bearers included two more popes and several medieval saints and clerics. Silvester remained the more regular spelling in many continental languages, while English favored Sylvester. Variants include French Sylvestre, Spanish and Portuguese Silvestre, Italian Silvestro, Polish Sylwester, and Hungarian Szilveszter. In the United States, Sylvester ranked highest in the 1920s and left the Top 1000 after 1994.

Sylvester has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Sylvester

Sylvester II Politician Sylvester II, originally named Gerbert of Aurillac, was a notable Pope who served from 999 to 1003. He is most famous for being the first French Pope and for his interest in mathematics and astronomy, which he helped to reintroduce to Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Sylvester McCoy Actor · Born 1943 · United Kingdom Sylvester McCoy is a British actor best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running TV series Doctor Who. He also appeared as Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit film series. His unique portrayal of the Doctor and his role in The Hobbit have made him a memorable figure in the world of entertainment. Sylvester Groth Actor · Born 1958 · Germany Sylvester Groth is a German actor best known for his role as Joseph Goebbels in Quentin Tarantino's film Inglourious Basterds. He has also appeared in the Netflix series Dark and the film The Reader. Born in 1958, Groth has had a successful career in both German and international cinema.
Sylvester Levay Musician · Born 1945 · Hungary Sylvester Levay is a Hungarian musician best known for his work as a composer and arranger. He gained fame for composing the hit song 'Fly, Robin, Fly' with the band Silver Convention, which won a Grammy Award. Levay has also contributed to film scores, including 'Airwolf' and 'Cobra'.

Sylvester – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 1992 #1 — 371
BW 0 #19 1 960
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
NA 0 #31 3 2,537
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
BW Boys 0 #87 64 4,685
JM 0 #87 7 3,714
QA 0 #103 4 7,011
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
BN Boys 0 #122 12 6,332
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
GH Boys 0 #127 401 8,138
ID Boys 0 #132 4 4,130
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
NA Boys 0 #164 72 6,830
MT Boys 0 #167 10 4,064
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
NG Boys 0 #175 3,140 16,906
NG 0 #178 88 5,926
Sweden Boys 2022 #181 2 1,509
GH 0 #183 61 5,396
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
JM Boys 0 #210 63 6,876
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
NA Girls 0 #236 2 7,146
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
AO Boys 0 #247 3 5,568
TW Boys 0 #254 3 7,111
SG 0 #259 11 11,010
GR Boys 0 #271 3 6,912
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
DK Boys 0 #291 35 7,401
Canada Boys 2024 #297 10 2,588
MY 0 #298 33 12,352
AL Boys 0 #301 3 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #301 5 6,530
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
ZA Boys 0 #307 2,001 25,619
CN Boys 0 #325 7 9,639
PL Boys 0 #326 10 6,459
GH Girls 0 #333 5 6,973
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
ZA 0 #359 89 14,421
MU Boys 0 #362 8 8,477
PH Boys 0 #366 18 11,440
NL 0 #379 13 2,481
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
France Boys 2015 #404 3 2,851
EG 0 #408 5 6,387
CM Boys 0 #412 143 12,054
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
Austria Boys 0 #432 11 2,180
MY Boys 0 #437 943 25,439
SD Boys 0 #458 9 10,523
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
HK Boys 0 #498 30 12,905
PA Boys 0 #500 6 9,305
CR Boys 0 #502 9 10,188
LY 0 #515 21 12,703
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
SG Boys 0 #541 157 17,960
PS Boys 0 #559 3 10,655
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
IR Boys 0 #562 4 10,162
BH 0 #579 9 17,937
BD Boys 0 #599 7 10,045
BO Boys 0 #619 4 9,244
IL Boys 0 #621 5 10,983
Finland Boys 2026 #633 50 3,552
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
NG Girls 0 #656 132 15,093
QA Boys 0 #677 31 18,093
LB 0 #684 7 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #690 8 13,071
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
NL Boys 0 #700 257 5,873
KW Boys 0 #741 29 18,755
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
BR Boys 0 #782 4 12,213
United States Boys 2024 #822 71 7,044
OM Boys 0 #859 23 17,948
EG Boys 0 #862 25 15,035
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
Germany Boys 0 #904 49 5,697
Spain Boys 0 #911 20 5,610
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
MX Boys 0 #972 11 16,355
IN Boys 0 #974 28 16,750
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
MY Girls 0 #981 14 24,821
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
AE Boys 0 #1,022 71 22,615
ZA Girls 0 #1,064 78 25,928
MA 0 #1,119 10 20,986
DZ 0 #1,227 8 20,130
TR 0 #1,251 4 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,358 114 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,558 57 28,008

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

United States
Ireland
Sweden
France
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Sylvester

Sylvester is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Sylvester is a 3 syllable name, pronounced SIL-ves-ter.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Silvester, Sylvestre, Silvestre, Silvestro, Sylwester and Szilveszter.
Yes, very popular — Sylvester ranked #1 in Ireland in 1992, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Sylvester ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 1992).
Yes — 4 notable people named Sylvester are in our database, including Sylvester II (Politician), Sylvester McCoy (Actor), Sylvester Groth (Actor).