Silvester Boy

Popularity: — · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: sil-VES-ter /sɪlˈvɛstər/

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Latin: 'of the forest'; English: 'one who is from the forest'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Silvester originates from the Latin name Silvester, which is derived from the word "silva," meaning "forest" or "woodland." The earliest forms of the name can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a cognomen. The name entered the English language through Old French during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, becoming popular in various forms across Europe, including Sylvester in Latin and Silvestre in French.

Historically, the name is most notably associated with Saint Sylvester, a pope who served from 314 to 335 CE. He is recognized for his role in the early Christian church and is often credited with overseeing the construction of the first Christian basilicas in Rome.

His feast day is celebrated on December 31, which has contributed to the name's enduring significance in Christian tradition. Additionally, the name appears in various historical texts and documents, including the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible completed in the late 4th century, where it is associated with themes of renewal and sanctity.

Culturally, Silvester has been linked to themes of nature and the wilderness, reflecting its etymological roots. The name has also been embraced in various literary and artistic contexts, symbolizing strength and vitality.

In some traditions, the name is associated with the idea of rebirth, particularly due to its connection with the New Year celebrations on Saint Sylvester's feast day. The diminutive form "Syl" has also been used historically, though it is less common in formal contexts.

Overall, the name Silvester carries a rich historical and cultural resonance, reflecting its deep roots in language and tradition.

Fictional characters named Silvester

The following list of fictional characters named Silvester is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Silvester is a fictional character from the animated television series Looney Tunes. He is a cat known for his attempts to catch Tweety Bird, often resulting in humorous failures.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Silvester, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

SylvesterSilasSullivanSimonSimeon

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Silvester. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

SylvesterAlistairEverettOliverSebastianVictorWalterWinters

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Silvester was first seen in the United States in 1884.

Silvester has ranked as high as #3254 nationally, which occurred in 1960, and has been most popular in Texas, Arkansas, California, and Mississippi.

In the past 5 years the name Silvester has been trending about the same compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Silvester is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Silvester was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Silvester.

Year Total Births Boy
2023 6 6
2015 6 6
2010 5 5
2007 9 9
2006 9 9
2005 6 6
2004 5 5
2003 8 8
2002 5 5
2001 6 6
2000 5 5
1999 9 9
1998 6 6
1997 12 12
1996 8 8
1994 10 10
1993 12 12
1992 9 9
1991 12 12
1990 10 10
1989 8 8
1988 15 15
1987 10 10
1986 11 11
1985 14 14
1984 13 13
1983 7 7
1981 14 14
1980 7 7
1979 8 8
1978 8 8
1977 13 13
1976 7 7
1975 9 9
1974 8 8
1973 6 6
1972 6 6
1971 7 7
1970 11 11
1969 10 10
1968 11 11
1967 9 9
1966 11 11
1965 14 14
1964 15 15
1963 29 29
1962 20 20
1961 26 26
1960 32 32
1959 17 17
1958 16 16
1957 14 14
1956 20 20
1955 22 22
1954 21 21
1953 16 16
1952 19 19
1951 15 15
1950 10 10
1948 14 14
1947 13 13
1946 11 11
1945 17 17
1944 12 12
1943 12 12
1942 5 5
1941 10 10
1940 9 9
1939 10 10
1938 12 12
1937 6 6
1936 7 7
1935 11 11
1934 13 13
1933 13 13
1932 16 16
1931 14 14
1930 19 19
1929 27 27
1928 18 18
1927 20 20
1926 14 14
1925 24 24
1924 20 20
1923 31 31
1922 19 19
1921 19 19
1920 26 26
1919 21 21
1918 14 14
1917 15 15
1916 17 17
1915 14 14
1914 15 15
1913 9 9
1912 9 9
1911 7 7
1910 12 12
1909 5 5
1906 5 5
1904 5 5
1903 5 5
1901 5 5
1900 6 6
1887 6 6
1884 7 7

Top States for Silvester (1996)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 5
100%