Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

adjective An adjective (abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a word that describes or defines a noun or noun phrase. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives are considered one of the main part of speech, parts of ...

''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the

noun In grammar, a noun is a word that represents a concrete or abstract thing, like living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, and ideas. A noun may serve as an Object (grammar), object or Subject (grammar), subject within a p ...

''silva'' meaning "woodland".

Classical Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a Literary language, literary standard language, standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It formed parallel to Vulgar Latin around 75 BC out of Old Latin ...

spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a separate sound distinct from ''i'', not a native Latin sound but one used in transcriptions of foreign words. After the Classical period ''y'' was pronounced as ''i''. Spellings with ''Sylv-'' in place of ''Silv-'' date from after the Classical period.

Given name

* Sylvester of Marsico (c. 1100–1162), Count of Marsico in the Kingdom of Sicily * Silvester Ashioya (born 1948), Kenyan hockey player * Silvester Bolam (1905–1953), British newspaper editor * Silvester Brito (1937–2018), American poet and academic * Sylvester Croom (born 1954), American football coach and former player * Silvester Diggles (1817–1880), Australian musician and ornithologist * Sylvester A. Dineen (1898–1950), American schoolteacher and politician * Silvester Fernandes (born 1936), Kenyan hockey player * Silvester Gardiner (1708–1786), American physician etc. * Silvester Goraseb (born 1974), Namibian footballer *

Sylvester Graham Sylvester Graham (July 5, 1794 – September 11, 1851) was an American Presbyterian minister and dietary reformer. He was known for his emphasis on vegetarianism, the temperance movement, and eating whole-grain bread. His preaching inspired th ...

(1794–1851), Presbyterian minister, father of graham crackers * Silvester Harding (1745–1809), English artist and publisher * Silvester Horne (1865–1914), Congregational minister * Sylvester James Jr. (1947–1988), also known as Sylvester, a singer and disco performer * Silvester Johnson (1813–1889), Kentucky merchant and politician * Silvester Knipfer (1939–2010), German sports shooter *

Sylvester Levay Sylvester Levay (originally Lévay Szilveszter, Serbian language, Serbian: Силвестер Леваи, ''Silvester Levai'') is a Hungarian people, Hungarian recording artist and composer, born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia). Life and career Levay ...

(born 1954), Hungarian musician * Sylvester McCoy (born 1943), Scottish actor * Silvester Mirabal (1864–1939), American farmer and statesman * Sylvester Mittee (born 1956), Saint Lucian/British boxer of the 1970s and '80s * Silvester Sabolčki (1979–2003), Croatian footballer * Silvester Sedborough (1515/16–1551), member of parliament * Silvester Šereš (1918–2000), Hungarian-Yugoslav footballer * Silvester Shkalla (born 1995), Albanian footballer *

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

(born 1946), American actor *Sylvester Stewart (born 1943), or

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the development ...

, musician and record producer, best known as the frontman for Sly and the Family Stone * Silvester Takač (born 1940), Serbian-Yugoslavian footballer and football manager * Sylvester Terkay (born 1970), American professional wrestler * Sylvester Turner (1954–2025), American attorney and politician, Mayor of Houston, Texas * John Silvester Varley (born 1956), English banker *

Silvester van der Water Silvester van der Water (born 30 September 1996) is a Dutch professional association football, footballer who plays as a Winger (association football), winger for club RKC Waalwijk. Club career Almere City In 2014, van der Water joined the ...

(born 1996), Dutch footballer

Clergy

* Antipope Sylvester IV, a claimant from 1105 to 1111 * Pope Sylvester I (died 335), Saint Sylvester *

Pope Sylvester II Pope Sylvester II (; – 12 May 1003), originally known as Gerbert of Aurillac, was a scholar and teacher who served as the bishop of Rome and ruled the Papal States from 999 to his death. He endorsed and promoted study of Science in the medieva ...

(c. 946–1003) * Pope Sylvester III (died 1062 or 1063) * Silvester de Everdon (died 1254), bishop and Lord Chancellor *

Sylvester Gozzolini Silvestro Guzzolini (1177 – 26 November 1267) was an Italian Catholic Church, Catholic Priesthood in the Catholic Church, priest and the founder of the Sylvestrines, Silvestrini. He served as a Canon (priest), canon in Osimo but respectful re ...

(1177–1267), saint and founder of the Sylvestrines religious order * Silvester Jenks (1656–1714), English priest and theologian * Silvester Petra Sancta (1590–1647), Italian priest and herald * Patriarch Silvester of Alexandria (fl. 1569–1590) * Sylvester of Assisi (died 1240), companion of Saint Francis of Assisi * Sylvester of Antioch, 18th century Greek bishop * Sylvester of Kiev (c. 1055–1123), clergyman and writer in Kievan Rus * Silvester of Troina (died 1185), Basilian monk * Silvester of Valdiseve (1278–1348), monk *

Sylvester of Worcester Sylvester was a medieval Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary (officer), head of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Worcester, Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title can be trac ...

, early 13th century Bishop of Worcester * Sylvester (priest), 15th-century priest of the Cathedral of the Annunciation and close advisor to Ivan IV

Surname

* Silvester baronets * Andy Silvester (born 1947), British bassist and multi-instrumentalist * Attila Silvester (1944–2010), Greek choreographer * Charles Sylvester (1774–1828), English chemist and inventor * Dean Sylvester (born 1972), American hockey player * David Silvester (born 1958), Scottish numerical analyst * David Sylvester (medievalist), Canadian medieval historian * Debbie Silvester (born 20th century), British-Australian chemist and professor * Flor Silvester (1923–2008), Dutch graphic designer etc. * Fred Silvester (born 1933), former British politician * Frederick C. Silvester (1901–1966), British organist and composer * Hannah Sylvester (1903–1973), American blues singer * Harold Sylvester (born 1949), American film and television actor *

James Joseph Sylvester James Joseph Sylvester (3 September 1814 – 15 March 1897) was an English mathematician. He made fundamental contributions to matrix theory, invariant theory, number theory, partition theory, and combinatorics. He played a leadership ...

(1814–1897), English mathematician * Jarrod Silvester (born 1965), Australian rules footballer * Jay Silvester (born 1937), American athlete * John Silvester (disambiguation) * Joshua Sylvester (1563–1618), English poet * Lewis Sylvester (born 1998), English boxer * Marc Sylvester, American middle-distance runner * Michael Silvester (born 1998), Irish rugby union player * Michael Sylvester (politician), American politician and labor organizer * Michael Sylvester (tenor) (born 1951), American opera-singer * Mike Sylvester (born 1951), an Italian-American basketball player *

Mist Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the cold air, usually by condensation. Physically, it is an example of a Dispersion (chemistry), dispersion. It is most commonly seen where water vapor in warm, moist air meets ...

(born 1992 as Rhys Thomas Sylvester), British rapper * Nigel Sylvester (born 1987), American professional BMX athlete * Paul J. Silvester (born 1963), American white collar criminal * Peter Silvester (disambiguation) * Philip Carteret Silvester (1777–1828), 2nd Baronet * Rick Sylvester (born 1942), American stuntman *

Robin Sylvester Robin Sylvester (1950 – 29 October 2022) was an English musician who was best known as a member of the American band RatDog. Although primarily a bass guitar, bass player, he played several instruments, including the guitar and keyboards, and ...

(1950–2022), English musician * Sarah Morgan-Silvester (born 1959), Canadian university chancellor * Sherry Sylvester, American political worker and journalist * Stephen Silvester (born 1951), English cricketer * Victor Silvester (1900–1978), English musician and bandleader * Walter Sylvester (1867–1944), English inventor * William Sylvester (1922–1995), American TV and film actor * William Henry Thomas Sylvester (1831–1920), English army officer and surgeon

Mononym

Sylvester (singer) Sylvester James Jr. (September 6, 1947December 16, 1988), known simply as Sylvester, was an American singer-songwriter. Primarily active in the genres of disco, rhythm and blues, and soul, he was known for his flamboyant and androgynous appea ...

(1947–1988), full name Sylvester James Jr., a singer and disco performer

Fictional characters

* Bear Sylvester, a character on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'' * Sylvester the Cat, a Looney Tunes character * Sylvester Junior, a son of Sylvester J. Pussycat, Sr. *Sylvester, a donkey in the children's book ''

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble ''Sylvester and the Magic Pebble'' is a children's book, children's picture book written and illustrated by William Steig, and published in 1969. It won the Caldecott Medal in 1970. Plot Sylvester Duncan, a young donkey from the fictional commu ...

'' *Sylvester, a main character in the series '' Trapped in the Closet'' *Sylvester Rax, an antagonist in the 1985 animated show '' M.A.S.K. (TV series)'' *Sylvester McMonkey McBean, a character in the Dr. Seuss book '' The Sneetches and Other Stories'' * Sue Sylvester, a main character on the Fox sitcom ''Glee''

Given name

Clergy

Surname

Mononym

Fictional characters

See also