Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective silvestris meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun silva meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with i. In Classical Latin, y represented a separate sound distinct from i, not a native Latin sound but one used in transcriptions of foreign words. After the Classical period y was pronounced as i. Spellings with Sylv- in place of Silv- date from after the Classical period.
Given name Arts and entertainment Music Silvester Diggles (1817–1880), Australian musician and ornithologist Sylvester James Jr. (1947–1988), also known as Sylvester, singer and disco performer Sylvester Levay (born 1954), Hungarian musician Sylvester Stewart (1943–2025), or Sly Stone, musician and record producer, best known as the frontman for Sly and the Family Stone
Other Silvester Brito (1937–2018), American poet and academic Silvester Harding (1745–1809), English artist and publisher Sylvester McCoy (born 1943), Scottish actor Sylvester Stallone (born 1946), American actor Sylvester Terkay (born 1970), American professional wrestler
Politics Sylvester A. Dineen (1898–1950), American schoolteacher and politician Silvester Johnson (1813–1889), Kentucky merchant and politician Silvester Mirabal (1864–1939), American farmer and politician Silvester Sedborough (1515/16–1551), Member of Parliament Sylvester Turner (1954–2025), American attorney and politician, mayor of Houston, Texas
Religion Antipope Sylvester IV, a claimant from 1105 to 1111 Pope Sylvester I (died 335), Saint Sylvester Pope Sylvester II (c. 946–1003) Pope Sylvester III (died 1062 or 1063) Silvester de Everdon (died 1254), bishop and Lord Chancellor Sylvester Gozzolini (1177–1267), saint and founder of the Sylvestrines religious order Silvester Jenks (1656–1714), English priest and theologian Silvester Petra Sancta (1590–1647), Italian priest and herald Patriarch Silvester of Alexandria (fl. 1569–1590) Sylvester of Assisi (died 1240), companion of Saint Francis of Assisi Sylvester of Antioch, 18th century Greek bishop Sylvester of Kiev (c. 1055–1123), clergyman and writer in Kievan Rus Silvester of Troina (died 1185), Basilian monk Silvester of Valdiseve (1278–1348), monk Sylvester of Worcester, early 13th century Bishop of Worcester Sylvester (priest), 15th-century priest of the Cathedral of the Annunciation and close advisor to Ivan IV Sylvester Graham (1794–1851), Presbyterian minister, father of graham crackers Silvester Horne (1865–1914), Congregational minister Sylvester Espelage (1877-1940), American Catholic bishop in China
Sports Silvester Ashioya (born 1948), Kenyan hockey player Sylvester Croom (born 1954), American football coach and former player Silvester Fernandes (born 1936), Kenyan hockey player Silvester Goraseb (born 1974), Namibian footballer Silvester Knipfer (1939–2010), German sports shooter Sylvester Mittee (born 1956), Saint Lucian/British boxer Silvester Sabolčki (1979–2003), Croatian footballer Silvester Šereš (1918–2000), Hungarian-Yugoslav footballer Silvester Shkalla (born 1995), Albanian footballer Silvester Takač (born 1940), Serbian-Yugoslavian footballer and football manager Silvester van der Water (born 1996), Dutch footballer
Other fields Sylvester of Marsico (c. 1100–1162), Count of Marsico in the Kingdom of Sicily Silvester Bolam (1905–1953), British newspaper editor Silvester Gardiner (1708–1786), American physician, pharmaceutical merchant and land developer
Surname Andy Silvester (born 1947), British bassist and multi-instrumentalist Attila Silvester (1944–2010), Greek choreographer Charles Sylvester (1774–1828), English chemist and inventor Dean Sylvester (born 1972), American hockey player David Silvester (born 1958), Scottish numerical analyst David Sylvester (medievalist), Canadian medieval historian Debbie Silvester (born 20th century), British-Australian chemist and professor Flor Silvester (1923–2008), Dutch graphic designer, illustrator, painter and sculptor Fred Silvester (1933–2025), British politician Frederick C. Silvester (1901–1966), British organist and composer Hannah Sylvester (1903–1973), American blues singer Harold Sylvester (born 1949), American film and television actor James Joseph Sylvester (1814–1897), English mathematician Jarrod Silvester (born 1965), Australian rules footballer Jay Silvester (born 1937), American athlete John Silvester (disambiguation) Joshua Sylvester (1563–1618), English poet Lewis Sylvester (born 1998), English boxer Marc Sylvester, American middle-distance runner Michael Silvester (born 1998), Irish rugby union player Michael Sylvester (politician), American politician and labor organizer Michael Sylvester (tenor) (born 1951), American opera-singer Mike Sylvester (born 1951), an Italian-American basketball player Mist (born 1992 as Rhys Thomas Sylvester), British rapper Nigel Sylvester (born 1987), American professional BMX athlete Paul J. Silvester (born 1963), American white collar criminal Peter Silvester (disambiguation) Philip Carteret Silvester (1777–1828), 2nd Baronet Rick Sylvester (born 1942), American stuntman Robin Sylvester (1950–2022), English musician Sherry Sylvester, American political worker and journalist Stephen Silvester (born 1951), English cricketer Terry Sylvester (born 1947), English musician Victor Silvester (1900–1978), English musician and bandleader Walter Sylvester (1867–1944), English inventor William Sylvester (1922–1995), American TV and film actor William Henry Thomas Sylvester (1831–1920), English army officer and surgeon
Fictional characters Bear Sylvester, a character on the BBC soap opera Doctors Sylvester the Cat, a Looney Tunes character Sylvester Junior, a son of Sylvester J. Pussycat, Sr. Sylvester, a donkey in the children's book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble Sylvester, a main character in the series Trapped in the Closet Sylvester Rax, an antagonist in the 1985 animated show M.A.S.K. (TV series) Sylvester McMonkey McBean, a character in the Dr. Seuss book The Sneetches and Other Stories Sue Sylvester, a main character on the Fox sitcom Glee
See also Saint Sylvester's Day
el:Σιλβέστρος ja:シルヴェスター