Total births
45
Unisex name · since 1903
Sylvesta
Sylvesta has 45 recorded births since 1903 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1903 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 45
- total births
- 1903–1928
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 47%
- born in that decade
Sylvesta is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 45 have been recorded since 1903.
Sylvesta has 45 recorded births among girls since 1903, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1903 to 1928.
- 45 total births
- 1903–1928 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 47% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
45 girls have been named Sylvesta since 1903, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1928.
- 45
- total births
- 1903–1928
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 47%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Sylvesta was born in this single decade.
1903
Single peak year
7 babies were named Sylvesta in 1903 - its busiest year on record.
Sylvesta's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sylvesta splits its recorded history at 1919: 60% of all births land in the more recent half, 40% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1916 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1903 peak of 7 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sylvesta at a glance
Last recorded 1928Peak year
1903
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1903
Sylvesta popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1903–1928
- Peak year (1903)
- 7
- Annual births at peak, across 26 years of records
Sylvesta popularity over time - boys
26 total births recorded since 1919 (Sylvesta as boys' name)
Sylvesta by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Sylvesta's strongest decade.
21 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Sylvesta births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 7
1900s
7 births
- 1910s
1910s
17 births
- 1920s
1920s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 21 births (47% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sylvesta? ▼
Sylvesta has been given to 45 babies in the U.S. since 1903, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1928. 7 babies were born in 1903, its single highest year.
When was Sylvesta most popular? ▼
Sylvesta was most popular in the 1920s decade with 21 total births. The single peak year was 1903.
Is Sylvesta a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Sylvesta is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 45 births, and as a boy's name it has 26 births.
How long has the name Sylvesta been used? ▼
Sylvesta has been recorded in Social Security data since 1903, spanning 26 years of data through 1928.
What names are similar to Sylvesta? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sylvia, Sylvie, Sylva, Sylvana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
Keep exploring Sylvesta
Nearby Names Like Sylvesta
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sylvesta
Sylvia Girl
#361 245,070 births
Sylvie Girl
#356 8,444 births
Sylva Girl
890 births
Sylvana Girl
#13699 817 births
Sylvester Girl
627 births
Compare Sylvesta side by side: Sylvesta vs Sylvia Sylvesta vs Sylvie Sylvesta vs Sylva
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1903–1928 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sylvesta: Baby Name Since 1903 - 45 Births, Peak 1903." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sylvesta. 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 Sylvesta 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.