Boy name · Latin
Chester
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: fort, campChester is a boy's name that comes from Latin and means "fort, camp". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Fort, camp
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1588 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Chester
As a boy's name, Chester comes from Latin and means "fort, camp". It is used in English.
Chester is also a surname: the 2,555th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 13,798 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Chester on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Chester on 5 lists.
“A cozy English place name for a fireside dog”
From Boy dog names, distinguished names for gentleman dogs
“Fort, camp; Latin via Old English, from an old Roman town”
From Cute boy names, sweet vintage boy names
“For a goose that sits by the front door”
From Porch goose names, boy porch goose names
“Fortress, camp; Latin. Chet for short”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
“From a place name based on Latin castra, fort; a friendly, old-fashioned tom name”
From Orange cat names, orange cat names for boys
How popular is Chester?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,588
- 107 babies, 63 per million boys
- Best rank
- #53 in 1919
- Most babies: 3,698 in 1920
- Babies since 1880
- At least 121,474
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,464 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 2,648 per million |
| 1900s | 2,790 per million |
| 1910s | 3,521 per million |
| 1920s | 2,580 per million |
| 1930s | 1,364 per million |
| 1940s | 1,027 per million |
| 1950s | 632 per million |
| 1960s | 352 per million |
| 1970s | 250 per million |
| 1980s | 151 per million |
| 1990s | 80 per million |
| 2000s | 44 per million |
| 2010s | 45 per million |
| 2020s | 55 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,926 | #1,698 | #1,689 | #1,725 | #1,622 | #2,113 | #1,761 | #1,730 | #1,652 | #1,588 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Chester
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ChentePet form of Vicente (Spanish, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- GordonSpacious fort (Scottish place name, boy)
Middle names for Chester
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Latin
- LeoA lion (Latin, boy)
- AdrianFrom Hadria (Latin, boy)
- FelixLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
- MartinDedicated to Mars (Latin, boy)
- OliverOlive tree (Latin, boy)
- AugustExalted, venerable (Latin, boy)
- MagnusThe great (Latin, boy)
- MarcoOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- MarcusOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- PatrickNobleman, patrician (Latin, boy)
Chester: common questions
What does the name Chester mean?
Chester comes from Latin and means "fort, camp".
Is Chester a boy or girl name?
Chester is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Chester come from?
Chester comes from Latin and means "fort, camp". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Chester?
Chester ranked #1,588 in the US in 2025, with 107 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Chester?
Names spelled like Chester include Chente.
What middle names go with Chester?
Middle names that flow well with Chester include Drake, Eli, Hugh, Jude and Mark. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.