Fester
One who tends to rankle or cause issues.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Fester. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fester today is around 100 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fester births was 1935 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fester. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Fester is about 100 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Festers were born before 1936.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Fester. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1935
5 babies that year
Average age
100
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,847
Tracked since 1935
Popularity
Fester: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Fester by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Fester during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Fester
The given name Fester has its origins in the Latin language, with the word "festus" meaning joyful or festive. This name likely emerged during the early Roman era, around the first few centuries AD.
Fester was a relatively uncommon name during ancient times, with sparse records of its usage. However, it can be found referenced in a few historical texts from the Middle Ages, suggesting it remained in occasional use, particularly among certain Christian communities influenced by Latin traditions.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Fester was a minor cleric named Fester of Montpellier, who lived in the late 12th century in southern France. Another early bearer was Fester Petrovich, a Russian landholder from the 14th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name experienced a slight resurgence, potentially influenced by the humanist movement's renewed interest in classical Latin works. A notable figure from this time was the Italian painter Fester Vannucci, born in 1466.
Moving into the 17th century, Fester Bunbury was an English landowner and Member of Parliament, born in 1615. A century later, in 1776, Fester Holtzhausen was a German composer and organist.
As the world entered the modern era, Fester remained an uncommon but present name across various cultures. One of the more famous bearers was Fester Maldonado, a Venezuelan military leader and politician who lived from 1892 to 1935.
People
Fester + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fester as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Fester: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fester?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fester going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Fester a common name?
We classify Fester as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fester most popular?
The single biggest year for Fester was 1935, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fester is about 100 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Fester in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Fester a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fester in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Fester still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Fester in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Fester can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Fester?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Fester on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.