NameRealm
Lester

Lester: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“fortified camp”
Origin
English
Say it
LESS-ter · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys

From an English surname and place-name derived from Old English elements via Leicester. It ultimately reflects a place-name meaning a Roman fort or camp.

English namesNames meaning protectorClassic namesSurname-style names

How popular is Lester?

202433.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Lester in 2024109

2024 rank#1,574 boys

Peak year1915

Total US babies since 1880131,938

Lester is steady now but far below its 1915 peak.

Names like Lester

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • JackGod is gracious · English
  • Hudsonson of Hudd · English
  • Jacksonson of Jack · English
  • Cartercart driver · English
  • Wyattbrave in war · English
  • Maverickindependent person · English
  • Masonstoneworker · English
  • Graysonson of the steward · English

Lester questions

What does the name Lester mean?

Lester means "fortified camp". It comes from English. From an English surname and place-name derived from Old English elements via Leicester. It ultimately reflects a place-name meaning a Roman fort or camp.

Is Lester a boy or girl name?

Lester is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Lester?

109 US babies were named Lester in 2024. Its peak year was 1915.

How do you pronounce Lester?

Lester is usually pronounced LESS-ter.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.