Sylvester
From the Latin Silvester, derived from silva, meaning wood or forest, so roughly of the woodland. Several early popes carried it, which kept it in use across Europe.
Sylvester in 2025
Sylvester was given to 64 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 4,784th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 51,802 babies born.
The history of Sylvester
Sylvester reached its highest point in 1920, when 819 babies were given the name, ranking 402nd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 303rd, in 1880.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 43,857 babies have been named Sylvester. Half of them were born before 1941, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Sylvester by decade
| Decade | Babies named Sylvester | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 796 | 303 |
| 1890s | 990 | 396 |
| 1900s | 1,411 | 388 |
| 1910s | 5,542 | 376 |
| 1920s | 7,028 | 402 |
| 1930s | 5,233 | 467 |
| 1940s | 5,405 | 505 |
| 1950s | 6,230 | 554 |
| 1960s | 3,869 | 768 |
| 1970s | 2,312 | 1,038 |
| 1980s | 2,024 | 1,303 |
| 1990s | 1,212 | 1,620 |
| 2000s | 735 | 3,246 |
| 2010s | 677 | 4,200 |
| 2020s | 393 | 4,500 |
Where Sylvester is heading
Sylvester has fallen 12% over the past decade, from 73 babies in 2015 to 64 in 2025.
Names like Sylvester
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Sylvester.