Total births
121,474
Boys' name · since 1880
Chester
Chester has 121,474 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1650
- among boys today
- 121,474
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Chester is the #1650 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 121,474 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Chester recorded 121,474 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1650 nationally today, ahead of 88% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1650 among boys today
- 121,474 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Chester is currently the #1650 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 121,474 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1650
- among boys today
- 121,474
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Chester vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1650
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Chester was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
3,698 babies were named Chester in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Chester compares
121,474 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Chester's all-time total is 331x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chester | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 121,474 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,698 | 23 | 22,252 |
Chester's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Chester's full recorded timeline at 1953, 21% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 79% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2021, with just 68 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 3,698 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Chester at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#1,650
Active since
1880
Chester popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 3,698
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Chester popularity over time - girls
828 total births recorded since 1894 (Chester as girls' name)
Chester by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Chester's strongest decade.
28,435 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Chester births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,699
1880s
2,699 births
- 1890s 3,021
1890s
3,021 births
- 1900s 3,788
1900s
3,788 births
- 1910s
1910s
23,500 births
- 1920s
1920s
28,435 births
- 1930s
1930s
14,413 births
- 1940s
1940s
15,287 births
- 1950s
1950s
12,780 births
- 1960s 6,784
1960s
6,784 births
- 1970s 4,132
1970s
4,132 births
- 1980s 2,796
1980s
2,796 births
- 1990s 1,549
1990s
1,549 births
- 2000s 884
2000s
884 births
- 2010s 840
2010s
840 births
- 2020s 566
2020s
566 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 28,435 births (23% of all-time use).
How Chester compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Chester's total volume
Chester vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Chester by state
Where Chester concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 9,209 | 7.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 7,573 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 7,392 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 6,148 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 5,465 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 5,178 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 5,091 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 4,159 | 3.4% |
Pennsylvania share of Chester's total US births 7.6%
Even split
9,209 of 121,474 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Chester appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chester? ▼
Chester has been given to 121,474 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1650 as of the latest data. 3,698 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Chester most popular? ▼
Chester was most popular in the 1920s decade with 28,435 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Chester most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chester are Pennsylvania (9,209 births), New York (7,573 births), Illinois (7,392 births).
How long has the name Chester been used? ▼
Records for Chester go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Chester? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Chet, Chevy, Cheyenne, Chesley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Chester's data
- Chester's decade-level peak was the 1920s (28,435 total births); usage has since declined to 566 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Chesters (9,209 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chester
Nearby Names Like Chester
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chester
Chet Boy
#2104 6,180 births
Chevy Boy
#1647 3,794 births
Cheyenne Boy
#10049 2,696 births
Chesley Boy
2,294 births
Che Boy
#5964 2,105 births
Compare Chester side by side: Chester vs Chet Chester vs Chevy Chester vs Cheyenne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chester
Vyom #1649
725 births · Peak 2023
Ransom #1651
4,859 births · Peak 2022
Jessiah #1648
2,285 births · Peak 2020
German #1652
10,290 births · Peak 1991
Chevy #1647
3,794 births · Peak 2014
Brent #1653
139,799 births · Peak 1970
Nehemias #1646
1,891 births · Peak 2025
Haze #1654
1,232 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chester: #1650 Boys' Name - 121,474 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chester. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Chester draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.