Names / Sylvester
Is Sylvester a first name or a last name?
Sylvester is both: a family name in some places and a given name in others. It is mostly a given name in the United States and Germany.
How to address someone called Sylvester
- United States. Sylvester is a given name. Hi Sylvester on first-name terms; formally, Mr. or Ms. goes with the family name, not with Sylvester.
- United Kingdom. Sylvester is used both ways: 57% of people from the United Kingdom with this name in our data carry it as a family name. Look at where it sits in the name and how the person signs.
- Nigeria. Sylvester is used both ways: 21% of people from Nigeria with this name in our data carry it as a family name. Look at where it sits in the name and how the person signs.
- Germany. Sylvester is a given name. Hi Sylvester on first-name terms; formally, Mr. or Ms. goes with the family name, not with Sylvester.
Not sure which part of a full name is which? Check the full name with the country where the person is based.
Sylvester by country
People recorded in Wikidata who carry Sylvester as a family name or as a given name, by country of citizenship (342 in total).
| Country | As family name | As given name | Family name share |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 30 | 158 | 16% |
| United Kingdom | 13 | 10 | 57% |
| Nigeria | 4 | 15 | 21% |
| Germany | 3 | 13 | 19% |
| Canada | 4 | 11 | 27% |
| Austria | 2 | 7 | 22% |
| Netherlands | 2 | 5 | 29% |
| Australia | 1 | 4 | 20% |
| Hungary | 3 | 1 | 75% |
| Finland | 0 | 4 | 0% |
Wikidata covers notable people, so counts show how the name is used, not how many people carry it.
Sylvester in the United States
- As a surname: about 18,896 people in the 2010 census, rank 1,901 among US surnames.
- As a first name: 16,911 babies born between 1950 and 2017, 1% of them girls.
Sylvester as a given name: men or women?
About 0% of people with Sylvester as a given name in Wikidata are women, and 1% of US babies given the name. This describes the name, not any one person: a title is usually a safe guess, but the full name without a title is always polite.
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