Sylvester
Meaning
of the forest
Goes by Sly
Sylvester around the world
One shared root links 4 names across 3 languages.
Shared root: from Latin silva "forest, wood", the root shared by Silvia and the woodland names Silvanus and Silvester
The constellation
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Sylvester peaked in the 1910s and the 1920s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
27 people · the #101,516 first name in Brazil · median age 33
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Sylvester
People given the name Sylvester in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 1989. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Sylvester deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Sylvester truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Sylvester fits with your family’s names and surname.
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