Sylvester is an established boys' name that peaked in 1920 and has since faded.
Sylvester is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #2,224 for boy births in the United States (and #4,784 across all names), given to 64 babies. Sylvester was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1920 (807 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64 | 64 | — | #2,224 |
| 2024 | 71 | 71 | — | #2,114 |
| 2023 | 67 | 67 | — | #2,172 |
| 2022 | 71 | 71 | — | #2,114 |
| 2021 | 68 | 68 | — | #2,128 |
| 2020 | 52 | 52 | — | #2,497 |
| 2019 | 74 | 74 | — | #1,998 |
| 2018 | 66 | 66 | — | #2,139 |
| 2017 | 67 | 67 | — | #2,087 |
| 2016 | 67 | 67 | — | #2,108 |
| 2015 | 73 | 73 | — | #1,999 |
| 2014 | 75 | 75 | — | #1,941 |
| 2013 | 76 | 76 | — | #1,876 |
| 2012 | 57 | 57 | — | #2,290 |
| 2011 | 60 | 60 | — | #2,198 |
| 2010 | 62 | 62 | — | #2,166 |
| 2009 | 67 | 67 | — | #2,072 |
| 2008 | 67 | 67 | — | #2,085 |
| 2007 | 62 | 62 | — | #2,182 |
| 2006 | 77 | 77 | — | #1,806 |
| 2005 | 67 | 67 | — | #1,914 |
| 2004 | 64 | 64 | — | #1,931 |
| 2003 | 83 | 83 | — | #1,544 |
| 2002 | 78 | 78 | — | #1,585 |
| 2001 | 80 | 80 | — | #1,525 |
| 2000 | 90 | 90 | — | #1,398 |
| 1999 | 91 | 91 | — | #1,328 |
| 1998 | 80 | 80 | — | #1,431 |
| 1997 | 103 | — | — | #1,178 |
| 1996 | 90 | — | — | #1,244 |
| 1995 | 121 | — | — | #1,013 |
| 1994 | 131 | — | — | #966 |
| 1993 | 143 | — | — | #900 |
| 1992 | 115 | — | — | #1,024 |
| 1991 | 135 | — | — | #906 |
| 1990 | 203 | — | — | #715 |
| 1989 | 193 | — | — | #712 |
| 1988 | 203 | — | — | #666 |
| 1987 | 199 | — | — | #653 |
| 1986 | 199 | — | — | #635 |
| 1985 | 194 | — | — | #633 |
| 1984 | 209 | — | — | #586 |
| 1983 | 184 | — | — | #630 |
| 1982 | 218 | — | — | #584 |
| 1981 | 221 | — | #10,241 | #584 |
| 1980 | 204 | — | — | #615 |
| 1979 | 249 | — | — | #541 |
| 1978 | 223 | — | — | #562 |
| 1977 | 217 | — | — | #571 |
| 1976 | 190 | — | — | #590 |
| 1975 | 218 | — | — | #546 |
| 1974 | 195 | — | — | #576 |
| 1973 | 241 | — | — | #503 |
| 1972 | 229 | — | #9,457 | #531 |
| 1971 | 298 | — | #7,273 | #475 |
| 1970 | 252 | — | #6,976 | #516 |
| 1969 | 241 | — | — | #499 |
| 1968 | 264 | — | #8,046 | #470 |
| 1967 | 300 | — | #5,972 | #440 |
| 1966 | 326 | — | — | #424 |
| 1965 | 388 | — | — | #398 |
| 1964 | 390 | — | — | #406 |
| 1963 | 461 | — | #5,824 | #374 |
| 1962 | 472 | — | #7,453 | #373 |
| 1961 | 518 | — | — | #349 |
| 1960 | 509 | — | #7,191 | #347 |
| 1959 | 567 | — | #4,985 | #327 |
| 1958 | 582 | — | — | #318 |
| 1957 | 604 | — | — | #312 |
| 1956 | 627 | — | #5,881 | #297 |
| 1955 | 654 | — | #4,029 | #283 |
| 1954 | 647 | — | #5,094 | #278 |
| 1953 | 644 | — | #4,197 | #276 |
| 1952 | 610 | — | #4,867 | #281 |
| 1951 | 640 | — | — | #266 |
| 1950 | 655 | — | #3,214 | #256 |
| 1949 | 588 | — | — | #278 |
| 1948 | 608 | — | #4,172 | #271 |
| 1947 | 601 | — | #6,031 | #282 |
| 1946 | 538 | — | — | #278 |
| 1945 | 514 | — | #4,499 | #258 |
| 1944 | 534 | — | — | #251 |
| 1943 | 510 | — | #3,463 | #272 |
| 1942 | 498 | — | — | #267 |
| 1941 | 547 | — | #3,227 | #237 |
| 1940 | 467 | — | #3,828 | #258 |
| 1939 | 486 | — | #2,291 | #244 |
| 1938 | 510 | — | #3,810 | #237 |
| 1937 | 485 | — | #3,124 | #244 |
| 1936 | 482 | — | — | #237 |
| 1935 | 540 | — | #2,716 | #224 |
| 1934 | 508 | — | #2,720 | #232 |
| 1933 | 504 | — | #3,090 | #232 |
| 1932 | 571 | — | #3,025 | #216 |
| 1931 | 534 | — | #3,193 | #226 |
| 1930 | 613 | — | #2,409 | #217 |
| 1929 | 585 | — | #2,292 | #224 |
| 1928 | 614 | — | #2,369 | #221 |
| 1927 | 627 | — | #2,328 | #218 |
| 1926 | 715 | — | #1,618 | #201 |
| 1925 | 704 | — | #2,758 | #204 |
| 1924 | 726 | — | #2,200 | #198 |
| 1923 | 746 | — | #1,938 | #191 |
| 1922 | 720 | — | #2,756 | #194 |
| 1921 | 772 | — | #2,272 | #185 |
| 1920 | 819 | — | #2,875 | #174 |
| 1919 | 771 | — | #1,795 | #173 |
| 1918 | 786 | — | #1,952 | #172 |
| 1917 | 739 | — | #1,600 | #175 |
| 1916 | 724 | — | #3,225 | #172 |
| 1915 | 715 | — | #3,109 | #163 |
| 1914 | 547 | — | #2,610 | #164 |
| 1913 | 472 | — | #2,516 | #157 |
| 1912 | 353 | — | #3,380 | #167 |
| 1911 | 225 | — | #2,434 | #154 |
| 1910 | 210 | — | #1,617 | #156 |
| 1909 | 157 | — | #2,193 | #164 |
| 1908 | 175 | — | #1,531 | #143 |
| 1907 | 159 | — | #1,624 | #149 |
| 1906 | 133 | — | #1,543 | #159 |
| 1905 | 126 | — | — | #162 |
| 1904 | 135 | — | #1,162 | #155 |
| 1903 | 119 | — | #2,055 | #156 |
| 1902 | 141 | — | #1,768 | #141 |
| 1901 | 128 | — | #1,322 | #139 |
| 1900 | 138 | — | #1,710 | #160 |
| 1899 | 94 | — | — | #163 |
| 1898 | 115 | — | — | #148 |
| 1897 | 111 | — | — | #144 |
| 1896 | 111 | — | — | #149 |
| 1895 | 99 | — | — | #158 |
| 1894 | 108 | — | #1,338 | #152 |
| 1893 | 85 | — | — | #170 |
| 1892 | 104 | — | #1,431 | #162 |
| 1891 | 64 | — | — | #197 |
| 1890 | 99 | — | #1,324 | #153 |
| 1889 | 112 | — | — | #127 |
| 1888 | 83 | — | — | #180 |
| 1887 | 71 | — | — | #179 |
| 1886 | 73 | — | — | #187 |
| 1885 | 82 | — | — | #164 |
| 1884 | 67 | — | — | #201 |
| 1883 | 69 | — | — | #177 |
| 1882 | 74 | — | — | #183 |
| 1881 | 76 | — | — | #161 |
| 1880 | 89 | — | — | #153 |