Lester is an ancient

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

surname and given name.

People

Given name

Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist and critic. He wrote for ''Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines and was also a performing musician. The music critic Jim DeRogatis called ...

(1948–1982), American music critic * Lester Oliver Bankhead (1912–1997), American architect * Lester W. Bentley (1908–1972), American artist from Wisconsin *

Lester Bird Sir Lester Bryant Bird (21 February 1938 – 9 August 2021) was an Antiguan 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 (ALP) from 1971 to ...

(1938–2021), second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda (1994–2004) * Lester D. Boronda (1886–1953), American painter, furniture designer, sculptor * 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 fantasy editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy an ...

(1915–1993), American science fiction author and editor * Lester Ellis (born 1965), Australian former professional boxer *

Lester Flatt Lester Raymond Flatt (June 19, 1914 – May 11, 1979) was an American bluegrass (music), bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his collaboration with banjo picker Earl Scruggs in the duo Flatt and Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned ...

(1914–1979), American bluegrass musician * Lester Gillis (1908–1934), better known as Baby Face Nelson, American gangster *

Les Gold Leslie "Les" Gold (born June 20, 1950) is an American pawnbroker, reality television star, author, and media personality. He is known for his role on cable and satellite television truTV's reality series, ''Hardcore Pawn''. Early life and career ...

(born 1950), American pawnbroker and reality TV star *

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

(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 Georgia from 1967 to 1971. A populist Southern Democrat, Maddox came to prominence as a staunch segregationist, when ...

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

Lester Martínez Lester Normandy Martínez Tut (born 17 October 1995) is a Guatemalan professional boxer. As an amateur, he won a light-welterweight silver medal at the 2012 Youth World Championships and a middleweight gold medal at the 2018 Central American ...

(born 1995), Guatemalan professional boxer * Lester Julian Merriweather (born 1978), American visual artist, collagist, painter *

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 (PCHA; Western Hockey League (WHL) after ...

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

Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian politician, diplomat, statesman, and scholar who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He also served as Leader of the Liberal Party of C ...

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

Lester Piggott Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and horse 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 grea ...

(1935–2022), English jockey *

Lester Prosper Lester Prosper (born September 21, 1988) is a Dominican-born British Virgin Islands-Indonesian professional basketball player for the Dewa United Banten of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). He played college basketball for the SUNY Old We ...

(born 1988), Indonesian basketball player *

Lester Quiñones Lester Quiñones ( ; born November 16, 2000) is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Birmingham Squadron of the NBA G League ...

(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 wrestling, professional wrestler and then actor. He achieved significant recognition for his portray ...

(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. ...

(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 i ...

(1909–1959), American jazz tenor saxophonist

Surname

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey on 14 August 1968) is a British actor. 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 London stage, an ...

(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 ...

(c. 1803–1867), New York politician *

Alison Lester Alison Jean Lester (born 17 November 1952) is an Australian author and illustrator who has published over 25 children's picture books and two young adult novels — ''The Quickstand Pony'' and ''The Snow Pony''. In 2005 Lester won the Child ...

(born 1952), Australian author and illustrator *

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 * Gabriella Lester (born 2003), Canadian magician, escapologist and television producer * Gavin Lester (born 1977), Australian rugby league footballer * Holly Lester, disc jockey from Northern Ireland *

Jack Lester Jack William Lester (born 8 October 1975) is an English football coach and former professional player, who is a head of player development at EFL Championship club Sheffield United. As a player Sheffield born Lester played as a forward from 1 ...

(born 1975), English football (soccer) player * Jenna Lester (born 1989), American dermatologist * Sir Jim Lester (1932–2021), British politician * John Lester (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 (born 1994), American baseball player *

Julia Lester (soccer) Julia Nicole Lester (born January 16, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Collegiate career A family youth and community sciences major, Le ...

(born 1998), American professional soccer player * Julia Lester (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 Lashonda Lester (September 11, 1975—April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian from Austin, Texas. Her posthumous debut album, ''Shondee Superstar'', was released by Dan Schlissel's Stand Up! Records in 2019, and was critically praised. ...

(c. 1975–2017), American stand-up comedian * Luke Fleet Lester, American engineer * Mark L. Lester (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, Hertfordshire. Career He began his career as a freelance journalist, for ''Melody Maker'' in the early 1990s, as well as ''City Limits'', '' 20/20'', '' Sky Maga ...

, British music journalist *

Paul Martin Lester Paul Martin Lester (March 21, 1953 – November 12, 2023) was an American professor of communications, photojournalist, and author known for his contributions to the fields of visual communication and photojournalism ethics. He was Clinical Profe ...

(1953–2023), American communications professor and author * Peter Lester (disambiguation) ** Peter Lester (abolitionist), American-born 19th-century businessman and abolitionist ** Peter Lester (sailor), New Zealand

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

and broadcaster *

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'' and ''DanAndPhilGAMES,'' which as of August 2024, have 3.87 million and 2.89 million subscri ...

(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 voice artist, actress, and singer, best known as the voice of "Miss Jessica" in the Rankin/Bass animated special ''Santa Claus is Comin' to Town'', the singing voice of Eva Gab ...

(1925–2005), American actress * Richard A. Lester (1908–1997), American economist *

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director, who spent the majority of his professional life in the United Kingdom. He is known for the fast-paced, flamboyant directing he brought to his comedy films, mo ...

(born 1932), British film director * Richard Neville Lester (1937–2006), British botanist * Ryan Lester (born 1992), Australian rules footballer *

Seán Lester Seán Lester (28 September 1888 – 13 June 1959) was an Irish diplomat who was the last secretary-general of the League of Nations from 31 August 1940 to 18 April 1946. Early life He was born in County Antrim as John Ernest Lester, the son of ...

(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 Pittsburg, Kansas, se ...

(1927–2012), American football coach * Vicki Lester (1915–2001), American actress * William "Buddy" Lester (1915–2002), American actor and comedian * Yami Lester (1941–2017), Australian Indigenous rights advocate

Fictional characters

* Lester, a goose in Chris Colfer's ''The Land of Stories'' *

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

, 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 produce ...

'' *

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 experie ...

, from the television show ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

'' * 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 (voice actor), Mike Henry for the Fox Broadcasting Company. A Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Family Guy'', and the second television ...

'' * 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 AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson. It was based upon his experiences obs ...

'' *

Lester Nygaard Lester Nygaard is a fictional character in the Fargo (season 1), first season of the FX (TV channel), FX television program, television series ''Fargo (TV series), Fargo'' and is portrayed by Martin Freeman, who received critical acclaim for his ...

, 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 ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

'' * Lester Papadopoulos, from the book series ''

Trials of Apollo ''The Trials of Apollo'' is a pentalogy of fantasy Adventure novel, adventure and Mythic fiction, mythological fiction novels written by American author Rick Riordan that collectively form a sequel to the ''The Heroes of Olympus, Heroes of Olymp ...

'' by Rick Riordan * Lester Burnham, main character in the film '' American Beauty'' * Arthur Lester, main character in the podcast ''Malevolent'' by Harlan Guthrie

External links

* {{given name, type=both English masculine given names Masculine given names English-language surnames English toponymic surnames

People

Given name

Surname

Fictional characters

See also

Middle name

External links