Selester
A feminine name derived from the Latin word "celeste" meaning celestial or heavenly.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Selester. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Selester today is around 118 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Selester births was 1925 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Selester. 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 Selester is about 118 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Selesters were born before 1918.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Selester. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1925
5 babies that year
Average age
118
years old
1936 SSA rank
#3,980
Tracked since 1925
Gender
Gender distribution for Selester
Selester is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 10 total registrations, 5 (50.0%) were male and 5 (50.0%) were female.
Selester as a male name
- Ranked #3,980 in 1936
- 5 male births in 1936
- Peak: 1936 (5 births)
Selester as a female name
- Ranked #5,665 in 1925
- 5 female births in 1925
- Peak: 1925 (5 births)
Popularity
Selester: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Selester from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Selester 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 Selester during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Selester
The given name Selester is a relatively uncommon and unique name, with its origins shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. It is believed to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically in the region of Sumer, which is now modern-day Iraq. The name's etymology is obscure, but some scholars suggest it may be derived from the Sumerian words "se" meaning "to call" and "lester" meaning "bright one" or "shining one."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Selester can be found in a cuneiform tablet dating back to around 2500 BCE. This tablet, discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Ur, appears to list the name among a group of individuals, potentially indicating its use as a personal name during that period. However, the precise context and significance of this reference remain unclear.
Throughout history, the name Selester has been associated with a handful of notable individuals, though their stories and legacies are often shrouded in mystery. One such figure is Selester of Cyrene, a philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 3rd century BCE. He is credited with making significant contributions to the field of geometry, particularly in the study of conic sections.
Another historical figure bearing the name Selester was a monk who lived in the 9th century CE in the Byzantine Empire. Known as Selester the Scribe, he was renowned for his calligraphic skills and his role in preserving and copying ancient manuscripts, many of which have survived to this day.
In the 12th century, there is mention of a Selester of Antioch, a scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the intellectual and religious debates of his time. His writings and teachings, though now largely lost, were influential in shaping the theological discourse of the period.
The name Selester also appears in the historical records of the Ottoman Empire, where a military commander named Selester Pasha served during the 16th century. He was known for his strategic prowess and his victories against the Venetian forces in the Mediterranean region.
In more recent times, one of the most notable individuals bearing the name Selester was Selester Willoughby, an English explorer and naturalist who lived from 1785 to 1857. He embarked on numerous expeditions to the Americas and the Pacific, documenting the flora and fauna of these regions and making significant contributions to the field of natural history.
While the name Selester may be relatively obscure today, its rich historical tapestry and the enigmatic origins make it a fascinating subject of study for onomatologists and historians alike. Its enduring presence throughout various cultures and time periods serves as a testament to the enduring allure of this unique and intriguing name.
People
Selester + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Selester as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Selester: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Selester?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Selester 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 Selester a common name?
We classify Selester 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, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Selester most popular?
The single biggest year for Selester was 1925, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Selester is about 118 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 Selester in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Selester a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Selester in the SSA data are female. 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 Selester still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Selester 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 Selester 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 Selester?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Selester at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.