Home › Baby Names Directory › Kester
Kester
How to Pronounce Kester
Pronounced KES-tur /ˈkɛs.tər/Medium
Meaning: Kester is an old Scottish and English pet form of Christopher, from the Greek Christophoros, 'bearing Christ.' It also survives as an English surname. The name has a sturdy, antique charm and traces its meaning to the Christopher root.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Kester is a medieval Scottish pet form of Christopher, the Greek name meaning 'bearing Christ.' Given now as a first name in its own right, it carries an old, homespun dignity and a crisp two-beat sound. It also exists as an English surname, and its meaning stays tied to the Christopher root.
Kester was always rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak around 1915, and it stayed a scarce, antique choice. A boy named Kester then would be past a hundred today.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Kester…
Explore names like Kester
Frequently Asked
What does the name Kester mean?
It is a Scottish pet form of Christopher, from the Greek for 'bearing Christ.'
How do you pronounce Kester?
It is said KES-tur /ˈkɛs.tər/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Kester a boy or girl name?
Kester is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Kester?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the mid nineteen-tens.