Nestor
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,742 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,529 for boys
Nestor is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “to return safely”. In 2025 it ranked 2,742nd for boys in the UK (8 babies) and 1,529th for boys in the US (113 babies).
What does Nestor mean?
Greek
“to return safely”
A male given name from Ancient Greek, rare in English.
From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is Nestor a girl's or a boy's name?
Nestor is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 8 boys in the UK and 113 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Nestor in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,742among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 8about 1 in 37,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 36% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 8 boys in the UK were named Nestor, making it the 2,742nd most popular name for boys.
2025 had the most boys named Nestor of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Nestor in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,658th in England and Wales.
Nestor in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #2,742 |
| 2024 | 5 | #3,772 |
| 2023 | 6 | #3,279 |
| 2022 | 4 | #4,195 |
| 2021 | 7 | #2,886 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 7 | #2,878 |
| 2018 | 7 | #2,823 |
| 2017 | 3 | #4,995 |
| 2016 | 6 | #3,241 |
| 2015 | 3 | #4,955 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 1 | #6,198 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 5 | #3,446 |
| 2010 | 3 | #4,865 |
| 2009 | 6 | #2,970 |
| 2008 | 4 | #3,836 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 3 | #4,204 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 5 | #2,358 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 1 | #3,776 |
How popular is Nestor in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,529among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 113about 1 in 15,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 3% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 113 boys in the US were named Nestor, making it the 1,529th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,731st. Its busiest year was 1991, with 300 boys. It first appears in the records in 1885.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more boys named Nestor than any year since 2017.
Half of all the boys named Nestor in the US since 1880 were born between 1979 and 2005, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nestor in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 113 | #1,529 |
| 2024 | 97 | #1,709 |
| 2023 | 91 | #1,774 |
| 2022 | 76 | #1,999 |
| 2021 | 94 | #1,721 |
| 2020 | 89 | #1,731 |
| 2019 | 108 | #1,548 |
| 2018 | 96 | #1,663 |
| 2017 | 126 | #1,393 |
| 2016 | 107 | #1,548 |
| 2015 | 125 | #1,381 |
| 2014 | 108 | #1,492 |
| 2013 | 106 | #1,520 |
| 2012 | 115 | #1,439 |
| 2011 | 123 | #1,364 |
| 2010 | 165 | #1,127 |
| 2009 | 157 | #1,156 |
| 2008 | 194 | #1,005 |
| 2007 | 209 | #946 |
| 2006 | 201 | #934 |
| 2005 | 226 | #828 |
| 2004 | 197 | #877 |
| 2003 | 189 | #890 |
| 2002 | 196 | #846 |
| 2001 | 218 | #777 |
| 2000 | 236 | #726 |
| 1999 | 247 | #680 |
| 1998 | 226 | #727 |
| 1997 | 201 | #745 |
| 1996 | 237 | #683 |
| 1995 | 253 | #655 |
| 1994 | 271 | #629 |
| 1993 | 290 | #608 |
| 1992 | 298 | #595 |
| 1991 | 300 | #585 |
| 1990 | 264 | #621 |
| 1989 | 255 | #615 |
| 1988 | 216 | #643 |
| 1987 | 173 | #688 |
| 1986 | 133 | #785 |
| 1985 | 139 | #755 |
| 1984 | 115 | #815 |
| 1983 | 108 | #838 |
| 1982 | 109 | #849 |
| 1981 | 98 | #900 |
| 1980 | 106 | #859 |
| 1979 | 90 | #926 |
| 1978 | 94 | #886 |
| 1977 | 73 | #1,007 |
| 1976 | 80 | #933 |
| 1975 | 56 | #1,127 |
| 1974 | 85 | #867 |
| 1973 | 78 | #904 |
| 1972 | 66 | #993 |
| 1971 | 67 | #990 |
| 1970 | 79 | #902 |
| 1969 | 60 | #989 |
| 1968 | 58 | #958 |
| 1967 | 56 | #968 |
| 1966 | 57 | #961 |
| 1965 | 42 | #1,163 |
| 1964 | 45 | #1,146 |
| 1963 | 52 | #1,051 |
| 1962 | 59 | #995 |
| 1961 | 56 | #1,041 |
| 1960 | 51 | #1,082 |
| 1959 | 54 | #1,049 |
| 1958 | 60 | #977 |
| 1957 | 56 | #1,014 |
| 1956 | 34 | #1,316 |
| 1955 | 34 | #1,293 |
| 1954 | 44 | #1,121 |
| 1953 | 41 | #1,154 |
| 1952 | 31 | #1,346 |
| 1951 | 23 | #1,552 |
| 1950 | 27 | #1,394 |
| 1949 | 29 | #1,347 |
| 1948 | 26 | #1,429 |
| 1947 | 28 | #1,393 |
| 1946 | 24 | #1,439 |
| 1945 | 19 | #1,535 |
| 1944 | 10 | #2,308 |
| 1943 | 22 | #1,485 |
| 1942 | 18 | #1,682 |
| 1941 | 19 | #1,588 |
| 1940 | 19 | #1,573 |
| 1939 | 15 | #1,795 |
| 1938 | 23 | #1,397 |
| 1937 | 13 | #1,992 |
| 1936 | 25 | #1,326 |
| 1935 | 24 | #1,390 |
| 1934 | 29 | #1,241 |
| 1933 | 18 | #1,644 |
| 1932 | 17 | #1,777 |
| 1931 | 21 | #1,538 |
| 1930 | 32 | #1,259 |
| 1929 | 32 | #1,237 |
| 1928 | 28 | #1,382 |
| 1927 | 30 | #1,350 |
| 1926 | 24 | #1,515 |
| 1925 | 27 | #1,425 |
| 1924 | 26 | #1,492 |
| 1923 | 26 | #1,460 |
| 1922 | 14 | #2,239 |
| 1921 | 31 | #1,329 |
| 1920 | 19 | #1,820 |
| 1919 | 14 | #2,151 |
| 1918 | 21 | #1,647 |
| 1917 | 23 | #1,479 |
| 1916 | 29 | #1,240 |
| 1915 | 31 | #1,159 |
| 1914 | 24 | #1,188 |
| 1913 | 18 | #1,205 |
| 1912 | 12 | #1,416 |
| 1911 | 6 | #1,536 |
| 1910 | 7 | #1,313 |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 7 | #1,112 |
| 1907 | 9 | #929 |
| 1906 | 5 | #1,252 |
| 1905 | 5 | #1,232 |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,120 |
| 1897 | 5 | #1,056 |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 7 | #871 |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 0 | – |
| 1887 | 0 | – |
| 1886 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 5 | #935 |
Names like Nestor
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Hector Lucas Noah Hunter Nico Omar Carter Austin Cooper Luca Spencer Sebastian
More Greek names
Theodore Sophia George Theo Sofia Alexander Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie Lainey
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Nestor: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/nestor, updated 20 October 2026.