Sylvester
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Sylvester
This name of three early popes has been associated in recent years with a cocky cartoon cat ("Thufferin' thuccatash!") and the Italian Stallion hero of the Rocky and Rambo movies (who was born Michael) — and yet we think it just might be ready to move further back into the mainstream.
Sylvester for boys#2224 US
Sylvester was at its height in the 1920s, when it was in the Top 200, and hung on in the lower rungs of the ladder until 1994. Lately the name has been most visible as a surname — that of Sue Sylvester on Glee. Model Emily Ratajkowski named her son Sylvester Apollo in 2021.
Trivia tidbit--in the 1935 movie Sylvia Scarlett, the young Katharine Hepburn disguises herself as a boy named Sylvester — until she meets Cary Grant!
Sylvester for girls
Sylvester as a feminine name is quite uncommon, as it is traditionally a masculine name with Latin origins. Derived from 'silvester' meaning 'of the woods' or 'wild,' it was popularized through Saint Sylvester, a 4th-century pope. While predominantly used for boys, some parents may choose it for girls seeking a strong, distinctive name with historical roots. The feminine use of Sylvester might be inspired by the trend of adopting traditionally masculine names for girls, though feminine variants like Sylvia or Sylvie are more common. The name carries associations with New Year's Eve (St. Sylvester's Day) in some European countries.
Pronounced sil-VES-ter.
As of October 2026, Sylvester ranked #2224 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #127 in 1889.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,941 | 75 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #1,999 | 73 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #2,108 | 67 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #2,087 | 67 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #2,139 | 66 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #1,998 | 74 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #2,496 | 52 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #2,127 | 68 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #2,112 | 71 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #2,172 | 67 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #2,108 | 71 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #2,224 | 64 | — | 0 |
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Sylvester.
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Sylvester on lists
Famous Sylvesters
- Sylvester GrothBoy
German actor
- Popes Sylvester IBoy
III
- Sylvester "Sly Stone" StewartBoy
American musician, producer, and funk pioneer
- Sylvester ChurchillBoy
American Civil War colonel
- Sylvester Samuels aka Lil RuBoy
American rapper
- Sylvester CroomBoy
American NFL football player and coach
- Robert Sylvester "R." KellyBoy
American R&B singer
- Michael Sylvester StalloneBoy
American actor, director and producer
- Sylvester Lefort (born Thomas La Ruffa)Boy
French pro wrestler
- Sylvester McCoy (born Percy James Patrick KentBoy
Smith), Scottish actor
Sylvester in pop culture
- Sylvester the CatBoy
Looney Tunes character
- Sylvester MarcusBoy
character in movie "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World"
- Sylvester "Slice" WaltersBoy
character on TV's "Raising the Bar"
- Sylvestre MunseyBoy
character from MK Robinson's "The Absolutely True Story of Exactly What Might Have Happened to Sylvestre Munsey"
- SylvesterBoy
the Duke of Salford, character in "Sylvester" by Georgette Heyer
- Sylvester Pemberton aka The StarBoy
Spangled Kid or Skyman, DC Comics superhero
- SylvesterBoy
donkey in children's book "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" by William Steig
- Sue SylvesterBoy
character on TV's "Glee"
- SylvesterBoy
character in rap opera "Trapped In The Closet"
- SylvesterBoy
character on TV show "Scorpion"
Variations & nicknames
More nicknames
- SlyBoy