Lestat
French masculine name meaning "ruler over power and riches".
Name Census estimates that about 509 living Americans carry the first name Lestat. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lestat today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lestat births was 2010 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lestat. 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.
People living today
509
~ 1 in 673,388 Americans
Peak year
2010
37 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,677
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Lestat: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lestat from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 244 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lestat 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 Lestat during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lestats live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lestat
The given name Lestat has its origins in Old French, derived from the Germanic name Leidestatt, which means "counselor" or "guide." This name was popular during the Middle Ages in France and other regions influenced by French culture.
Lestat can be traced back to the 8th century, when it first appeared in historical records as a personal name among the Frankish nobility. It gained popularity during the Carolingian dynasty, particularly during the reign of Charlemagne.
In the 11th century, the name Lestat was mentioned in the literary work "La Chanson de Roland," an epic poem that recounts the heroic deeds of the Frankish knight Roland and his comrades during the reign of Charlemagne.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Lestat was Lestat de Fougères, a French nobleman and crusader who lived in the late 12th century. He participated in the Third Crusade and was known for his bravery in battle.
Another notable figure with the name Lestat was Lestat de Louppy, a 13th-century French knight and troubadour. He was renowned for his poetic works and his skills as a musician.
In the 14th century, Lestat de Montegut was a prominent French military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English. He played a significant role in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
During the 16th century, Lestat de Beaulieu was a French philosopher and humanist who contributed to the Renaissance movement in France. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the 17th century, Lestat de La Roche was a French explorer and navigator who embarked on several voyages to the Americas and the West Indies. He is credited with mapping parts of the Caribbean islands and establishing trade routes in the region.
While the name Lestat has its roots in the medieval period, it has continued to be used throughout history, albeit with varying degrees of popularity. The name carries a sense of nobility, wisdom, and leadership, reflecting its Germanic origins and the historical figures who bore this name.
People
Lestat + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lestat as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lestat: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lestat?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 509 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lestat 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 673,388 US residents.
Is Lestat a common name?
We classify Lestat as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 514 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lestat most popular?
The single biggest year for Lestat was 2010, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lestat is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lestat a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lestat 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.
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.