Lester is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname and given name.

People

Given name

  • Lester Bangs (1948–1982), American music critic
  • Lester Oliver Bankhead (1912–1997), American architect
  • Lester W. Bentley (1908–1972), American artist from Wisconsin
  • Lester Ben Binion (1904–1989), American gambling icon and criminal
  • Lester Bird (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 (1915–1993), American science fiction author and editor
  • Lester Ellis (born 1965), Australian former professional boxer
  • Lester Flatt (1914–1979), American bluegrass musician
  • Lester Gillis (1908–1934), better known as Baby Face Nelson, American gangster
  • Lester O. Gore (1890–1965), American attorney and judge
  • Lester Holt (born 1959), American television journalist
  • Lester Charles King (1907–1989), English geomorphologist
  • Lester Lanin (1907–2004), American jazz and pop music bandleader
  • Lester Lockett (1912–2005), American Negro League baseball player
  • Lester Maddox (1915–2003), governor and lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Georgia
  • Lester Martínez (born 1995), Guatemalan professional boxer
  • Lester Julian Merriweather (born 1978), American visual artist, collagist, painter
  • Léster Morgan (1976–2002), Costa Rican footballer
  • Lester Patrick (1883–1960), Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • Lester B. Pearson (1897–1972), fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada
  • Lester Piggott (1935–2022), English jockey
  • Lester Prosper (born 1988), Indonesian basketball player
  • Lester Quiñones (born 2000), Dominican-American basketball player
  • Lester Speight (born 1963), American actor, former football player and wrestler; known for his portrayal as Terry Tate, Office Linebacker
  • Lester Thurow (1938–2016), American economist
  • Lester Young (1909–1959), American jazz tenor saxophonist

Surname

  • Adrian Lester (born 1968), British actor
  • Albert Lester (c. 1803 – 1867), New York politician
  • Alison Lester (born 1952), Australian author and illustrator
  • Brad Lester (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 (born 1975), English football (soccer) player
  • Jenna Lester (born 1989), American dermatologist
  • Jim Lester (British politician) (1932–2021), British politician
  • John Lester (1871–1969), American cricketer
  • Jon Lester (born 1984), American baseball player
  • Josh Lester (born 1994), American baseball player
  • Julia Lester (soccer) (born 1998), American professional soccer player
  • Julia Lester (born 2000), American actress
  • Julius Lester (1939–2018), American writer
  • Lashonda Lester (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, British music journalist
  • Paul Martin Lester (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 and broadcaster
  • Phil Lester (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 (1925–2005), American actress
  • Richard A. Lester (1908–1997), American economist
  • Richard Lester (born 1932), British film director
  • Richard Neville Lester (1937–2006), British botanist
  • Ryan Lester (born 1992), Australian rules footballer
  • Seán Lester (1880–1959), Irish diplomat
  • Sonny Lester (1924–2018), American record producer
  • Tom Lester (1938–2020), American actor
  • Tom Lester (American football) (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
  • Lester Burnham, main character in the film American Beauty
  • Lester Crest, from the video game Grand Theft Auto V
  • Lester Freamon, from the television show The Wire
  • Lester Krinklesac, from the television show The Cleveland Show
  • James Peregrine Lester, from the television series Primeval
  • Lester Nessman from the television show WKRP in Cincinnati
  • Lester Nygaard, from the television series Fargo
  • Lester Papadopoulos, the human name of the god Apollo, from the book series Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan
  • Lester Patel, from the television series Chuck
  • Lester Sludge, from the television show M.A.S.K.

See also

Middle name

  • H. Lester Hooker (1921–1999), American college basketball and baseball coach
  • Leicester, a city in England pronounced the same way as "Lester"

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