Lester is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname and given name. Notable people and characters with the name include:

People

Given name

Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for '' Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock music ...

(1948–1982), American music critic * Lester W. Bentley (1908–1972), American artist from Wisconsin *

Lester Bird Sir Lester Bryant Bird KNH (21 February 1938 – 9 August 2021) was an Antigua and Barbuda politician and athlete who served as the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004. He was chairman of the Antigua Labour Party (AL ...

(1938–2021), second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda (1994–2004) * Lester Cotton (born 1996), American football player *

Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and scienc ...

(1915–1993), American science fiction author and editor * Lester Flatt (1914–1979), American bluegrass musician * Lester Gillis (1908–1934), better known as Baby Face Nelson, American gangster *

Lester Holt Lester Don Holt Jr. (born March 8, 1959) is an American journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of ''NBC Nightly News'' and ''Dateline NBC''. On June 18, 2015, Holt was made the permanent anchor of ''NBC Nightly News'' following the ...

(born 1959), American television journalist * Lester Charles King (1907–1989), English geomorphologist *

Lester Lanin Nathaniel Lester Lanin (August 26, 1907 – October 27, 2004) was an American jazz and pop music bandleader. He was famous for long, smoothly arranged medleys, at a consistent rhythm and tempo, which were designed for continuous dancing. Lanin ...

(1907–2004), American jazz and pop music bandleader * Lester Lockett (1912–2005), American Negro League baseball player *

Lester Maddox Lester Garfield Maddox Sr. (September 30, 1915 – June 25, 2003) was an American politician who served as the 75th governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971. A populist Democrat, Maddox came to prominence as a staunch segregatio ...

(1915–2003), governor and lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Georgia *

Lester Patrick Curtis Lester Patrick (December 31, 1883 – June 1, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (Western Hockey League after 1924), and ...

(1883–1960), Canadian ice hockey player and coach *

Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...

(1897–1972), fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada *

Lester Piggott Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...

(1935–2022), English jockey *

Lester Prosper Lester Prosper (born 21 September 1988) is a Dominican-born Indonesian professional basketball player for the Suwon KT Sonicboom of the Korean Basketball League. College career Lester Prosper played four years with the State University of New Y ...

(born 1988), Indonesian basketball player *

Lester Quiñones Lester Quiñones (born November 16, 2000) is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA G League. He attended St. Benedict's Preparatory School and played a postgraduate season at IMG Academy. He t ...

(born 2000), Dominican-American basketball player *

Lester Speight Lester Speight (born August 28, 1963), also known as Rasta, is a former American football player who has had subsequent careers as a professional wrestler and then actor. He achieved significant recognition for his portrayal of '' Terry Tate: Offi ...

(born 1963), American actor, former football player and wrestler; known for his portrayal as Terry Tate, Office Linebacker *

Lester Thurow Lester Carl Thurow (May 7, 1938 – March 25, 2016) was an American political economist, former dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management, and author of books on economic topics. Education Born in Livingston, Montana, Thurow received his B.A. i ...

(1938–2016), American economist *

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

(1909–1959), American jazz tenor saxophonist

Surname

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey; 14 August 1968) is a British actor, director and writer. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the ...

(born 1968), British actor *

Albert Lester Albert Lester (c. 1803 – March 14, 1867) was an American lawyer and politician. Life Lester removed from Litchfield, Connecticut, to Canandaigua. He was a Democratic member of the New York State Senate (7th D.) from 1844 to 1847, sitting in t ...

(c. 1803–1867), New York politician *

Brad Lester Brad Lester (born October 24, 1985) is a former gridiron football running back. He played college football at Auburn University. Early years Brad Lester was born to Phillis Miller and Calvin Lester. He attended Parkview High School in Georgia, ...

(born 1985), collegiate American football player *

Gavin Lester Gavin Lester (born 5 January 1977) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters, as a . Background Lester was born in Sy ...

(born 1977), Australian rugby league footballer *

Jack Lester Jack William Lester (born 8 October 1975) is an English football coach and former professional footballer, who is a first team coach at EFL Championship side of Sheffield United. As a player Sheffield born Lester played as a forward from 1994 ...

(born 1975), English football (soccer) player *

Jenna Lester Jenna Lester is an American dermatologist and faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Lester founded the UCSF Skin of Color Clinic, where she is the director. The clinic looks to address health disparities by provid ...

(born 1989), American dermatologist * Sir Jim Lester (1932–2021), British politician *

John Lester John Ashby Lester (August 1, 1871September 3, 1969) was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a teacher. Lester was one of the Philadelphian cricketers who played from the end of the 19th century until the ...

(1871–1969), American cricketer *

Jon Lester Jonathan Tyler Lester (born January 7, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals. L ...

(born 1984), American baseball player *

Josh Lester Joshua Benjamin Lester (born July 17, 1994) is an American professional baseball utility infielder in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He made his MLB debut in 2022 for the Detroit Tigers. Amateur career A native of Columbus, Georgia, Lester ...

(born 1994), American baseball player *

Julia Lester Julia Rose Lester (born January 28, 2000) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Ashlyn Caswell in the Disney+ series ''High School Musical: The Musical: The Series'' and for originating the role of Little Red Ridi ...

(born 2000), American actress *

Julius Lester Julius Bernard Lester (January 27, 1939 – January 18, 2018) was an American writer of books for children and adults and an academic who taught for 32 years (1971–2003) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Lester was also a civil right ...

(1939–2018), American writer * Lashonda Lester (c. 1975–2017), American stand-up comedian * Luke Fleet Lester, American engineer *

Mark L. Lester Mark L. Lester (born November 26, 1946) is an American film director, screenwriter, and Film producer, producer. He is known as a prolific director of cult films, including the disco musical ''Roller Boogie'' (1979), the vigilante thriller fil ...

(born 1946), American film producer * Mary Louise Lester (1919–1977), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player * Marsha I. Lester, American physical chemist *

Paul Lester Paul Lester is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster from Elstree, North London. Career He began his career as a freelance journalist, for ''Melody Maker'' in the early 1990s, as well as ''City Limits'', ''20/20'', '' Sky Magazin ...

, British music journalist * Paul Martin Lester (born 1953), American communications professor and author *

Phil Lester Philip Michael Lester (born 30 January 1987) is an English YouTuber and radio host. He is best known for his YouTube channels ''AmazingPhil'', which gained over 4 million subscribers, and ''DanAndPhilGAMES''. Together with frequent collaborato ...

(born 1987), British YouTuber and BBC Radio 1 presenter * Robert "Squirrel" Lester (1942–2010), American singer, original member of the vocal group The Chi-Lites *

Robie Lester Robie Lester (March 23, 1925 – June 14, 2005) was an American actress, singer, voice artist, and author, best known as the voice of "Miss Jessica" in the Rankin/Bass animated special ''Santa Claus is Comin' to Town'', the singing voice of ...

(1925-2005), American actress *

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and '' Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ' ...

(born 1932), British film director *

Richard Neville Lester Richard Neville Lester (13 June 1937 – 4 April 2006) was an English botanist and chemotaxonomist. An English botanist born in Birmingham. He was a student and later (1958) research assistant of Jack Hawkes and took part in potato collecting ...

(1937–2006), British botanist *

Ryan Lester Ryan Lester (born 26 August 1992) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). Ryan attended Glen Waverley Secondary College in Melbourne's Eastern suburbs. He made his debut in Ro ...

(born 1992), Australian rules footballer * Seán Lester (1880–1959), Irish diplomat * Sonny Lester (1924–2018), American record producer * Tom Lester (1938–2020), American actor *

Tom Lester (American football) Thomas Arthur Lester (January 23, 1927 – September 2, 2012) was an American college football coach. He was the eighth head football coach at Kansas State College of Pittsburg—now known as Pittsburg State University—in Pi ...

(1927–2012), American football coach * William "Buddy" Lester (1915–2002), American actor and comedian

Fictional characters

James Lester Sir James Theodore Lester (23 May 1932 – 31 October 2021) was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. Parliamentary career Born in Nottingham in May 1932, Lester first stood for Parliament in 1968 Bassetlaw by-elect ...

, from the television series '' Primeval'' * Lester Patel, from the television series ''

Chuck Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer * C ...

'' *

Lester Freamon Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. He is a wise, methodical detective whose intelligence and experi ...

, from the television show ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2 ...

'' * Lester Krinklesac, from the television show ''

The Cleveland Show ''The Cleveland Show'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Richard Appel, and Mike Henry for the Fox Broadcasting Company. A spin-off of ''Family Guy'', the series centers on Cleveland Brown, his new wife Donna Tubbs, and ...

'' * Lester Nessman from the television show ''

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working ...

'' * Lester Nygaard, from the television series '' Fargo'' * Lester Sludge, from the television show '' M.A.S.K.'' * Lester Crest, from the video game '' Grand Theft Auto V'' * Lester Papadopoulos, from the book series ''

Trials of Apollo ''The Trials of Apollo'' is a pentalogy of fantasy adventure and mythological fiction novels written by American author Rick Riordan that collectively form a sequel to the ''Heroes of Olympus'' series. It is set in the same world as the Riordan ...

'' by Rick Riordan * Lester Burnham, main character in the film '' American Beauty''

People

Given name

Surname

Fictional characters

See also

Middle name