Boys' name · since 1884
Silvester
1,306 babies named Silvester in U.S. Social Security records since 1884, with the highest year being 1960. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4,339 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,306
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
Silvester is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,306 have been recorded since 1884.
Social Security Administration records show Silvester recorded 1,306 times among boys since 1884, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, 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 1884 to 2023.
- #4,339 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,306 born since 1884
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Silvester ranks #4,339 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,306 born since 1884, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,339 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,306
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
Silvester's 1,306 recorded births place it above 90.45% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
Silvester's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Silvester splits its recorded history at 1956: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1901 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 32 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Silvester popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2023
- Peak year (1960)
- 32
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Silvester by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (218 births, 17% of the file).
1920s was Silvester's strongest decade.
218 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Silvester births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 13
1880s
13 births
- 1900s 31
1900s
31 births
- 1910s
1910s
133 births
- 1920s
1920s
218 births
- 1930s
1930s
121 births
- 1940s
1940s
103 births
- 1950s
1950s
170 births
- 1960s
1960s
177 births
- 1970s 83
1970s
83 births
- 1980s
1980s
99 births
- 1990s
1990s
88 births
- 2000s 53
2000s
53 births
- 2010s 11
2010s
11 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 218 births (17% of all-time use).
How Silvester 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 Silvester's total volume
Silvester by state
Where Silvester concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 78 | 6.0% |
| #2 | Arkansas | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #3 | California | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 5 | 0.4% |
78 of 1,306 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Silvester's data
- Silvester's decade-level peak was the 1920s (218 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Silvesters (78 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Silvester
Nearby Names Like Silvester
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Silvester
Compare Silvester side by side: Silvester vs Silas Silvester vs Silvio Silvester vs Silvestre
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Silvester: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1960)
Similar record span (~139 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1884–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Silvester 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 August 2026.