NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Lester

A masculine name of English origin meaning "camp" or "estate".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Lester is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Lester popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3449, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 11 births.

This profile covers 145 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 45% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 144 living people in the UK are called Lester. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Lester ranked #3449 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2003, when 11 boys were registered as Lester.
  • About 144 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lester as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3449

2022

Births in 2022

5

Latest year

Peak year

2003

11 births

Estimated living

144

2026

Meaning

What does Lester mean?

The name Lester has its origins in the Old English language. It is derived from the word "leasowe," which means a meadow or pasture. The name was popular in Anglo-Saxon England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Lester can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions several individuals with the name, indicating its prevalence in that era.

During the Middle Ages, the name Lester was particularly common among the English gentry and landed families. It was often associated with rural landowners and those who owned or worked on meadows and pastures.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Lester was Lester of Normandy, a French nobleman and military leader who fought in the Third Crusade alongside Richard the Lionheart. He was born around 1160 and died in the early 13th century.

Another famous bearer of the name was Lester Piggott, a legendary English jockey who won numerous prestigious horse racing events, including the Epsom Derby nine times. He was born in 1935 and passed away in 2022.

Lester Pearson, a Canadian diplomat and politician, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his efforts in resolving the Suez Crisis. He served as the 14th Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968 and was born in 1897 and died in 1972.

Lester Young, an American jazz tenor saxophonist, was a prominent figure in the swing era. He was known for his distinctive playing style and innovative approach to improvisation. Young was born in 1909 and passed away in 1959.

Lester Bangs was an influential American music journalist and critic who wrote for publications like Creem, Rolling Stone, and The Village Voice. He was a prominent voice in the rock music scene of the 1960s and 1970s. Bangs was born in 1948 and died in 1982.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lester over time

The chart below shows babies named Lester registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Lester, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2022, compared with 11 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lester
036811199620092022

Decades

Lester by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lester was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3466 15 3
2010s #3261 48 8
2000s #2338 58 9
1990s #1834 24 4

Related

Names similar to Lester

FAQ

Lester: questions and answers

How popular is the name Lester in the UK right now?

In 2022, Lester was ranked #3449 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Lester most popular?

The peak year on record was 2003, with 11 babies registered as Lester in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lester?

A masculine name of English origin meaning "camp" or "estate".

How many people are called Lester in the UK?

A total of 145 babies have been registered as Lester across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.