Total births
10,430
Boys' name · since 1885
Nestor
10,430 babies named Nestor in U.S. Social Security records since 1885, with the highest year being 1991. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1710
- among boys today
- 10,430
- born since 1885
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Nestor currently ranks #1710 among boys' names in America, with 10,430 babies recorded since 1885.
Social Security Administration records show Nestor recorded 10,430 times among boys since 1885, holding rank #1710 nationally today, ahead of 88% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #1710 among boys today
- 10,430 born since 1885
- 1990s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nestor is currently the #1710 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 10,430 born since 1885, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1710
- among boys today
- 10,430
- born since 1885
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Nestor vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1710
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Nestor was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
300 babies were named Nestor in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Nestor compares
10,430 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Nestor's all-time total is 28x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nestor | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,430 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 300 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nestor's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nestor splits its recorded history at 1964: 85% of all births land in the more recent half, 15% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1991 peak of 300 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nestor at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1991
Current rank
#1,710
Active since
1885
Nestor popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 300
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Nestor by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Nestor's strongest decade.
2,587 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Nestor births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 17
1890s
17 births
- 1900s 26
1900s
26 births
- 1910s 185
1910s
185 births
- 1920s 257
1920s
257 births
- 1930s 217
1930s
217 births
- 1940s 214
1940s
214 births
- 1950s 404
1950s
404 births
- 1960s 536
1960s
536 births
- 1970s 768
1970s
768 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,452 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,587 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,023 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,179 births
- 2020s 560
2020s
560 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 2,587 births (25% of all-time use).
How Nestor 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 Nestor's total volume
Nestor vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nestor by state
Where Nestor concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,178 | 30.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,514 | 14.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,103 | 10.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 425 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Florida | | 387 | 3.7% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 217 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Arizona | | 201 | 1.9% |
| #8 | New Mexico | | 115 | 1.1% |
California share of Nestor's total US births 30.5%
Even split
3,178 of 10,430 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Nestor appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nestor? ▼
Since 1885, Social Security records show 10,430 babies named Nestor. Today it holds rank #1710 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1991, with 300 births.
When was Nestor most popular? ▼
Nestor was most popular in the 1990s decade with 2,587 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Nestor most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nestor are California (3,178 births), Texas (1,514 births), New York (1,103 births).
How long has the name Nestor been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nestor since 1885 -- 141 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nestor? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nesanel, Nessiah, Nesta, Nester, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nestor's data
- Nestor's decade-level peak was the 1990s (2,587 total births); usage has since declined to 560 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nestors (3,178 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Nestor
Nearby Names Like Nestor
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nestor
Nesanel Boy
#4979 361 births
Nessiah Boy
#3154 298 births
Nesta Boy
108 births
Nester Boy
101 births
Ness Boy
#13238 96 births
Compare Nestor side by side: Nestor vs Nesanel Nestor vs Nessiah Nestor vs Nesta
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nestor
Hardin #1709
1,330 births · Peak 2021
Stephan #1711
27,681 births · Peak 1989
Oaklen #1708
725 births · Peak 2023
Stiles #1712
949 births · Peak 2024
Camdyn #1707
3,894 births · Peak 2016
Mylan #1713
1,442 births · Peak 2024
Xavion #1706
2,732 births · Peak 2007
Baylen #1714
1,392 births · Peak 2024
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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nestor: #1710 Boys' Name - 10,430 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nestor. 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 Nestor 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.