Vintage Boy Names: How To Find A Cool Old Name

Lester

The name Lester peaked for girls at #887 in 1905. Lester is occasionally used for boys in 2025.

The name Lester is a boy's name of English origin meaning "military camp by the river Ligore".

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Names Ending in -er for Boys

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English Names that Start With L

A popular choice in the US in the early 20th-century, Lester made the Top 100 consistently for 46 years between 1886 and 1931. It then remained in the Top 500 until the mid-80s before dropping out of the charts in the late 90s. Since then, it's been given to around 100 babies each year, making it an out-of-style but not forgotten name. 
 
Derived from the English place-name and surname, Leicester, this streamlined, phonetic form was in its prime alongside Elmer, Chester, Sylvester, Hester, Melvin, and Leroy. Its meaning comes from the Latin castra, referring to a fortified or military camp, blended with the name of a river. 
 
While retro and vintage names are on trend at the moment, contemporary parents may be put off by Lester's similarity and rhyme with "molester" or "pester", preferring instead options like Ledger and Everest, or alternative vintage names such as Walter, Wes, and Maurice.

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The name Lester is currently ranked #908 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #52 in 1906. It is currently rising in popularity. The name is most popular in LESTER, LESTER, and LESTER. Lester is occasionally used for girls in 1985.

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	—	0	0
2015	—	0	0
2016	—	0	0
2017	—	0	0
2018	—	0	0
2019	—	0	0
2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	—	0	0
2024	—	0	0
2025	—	0	0

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