Lester

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

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 Bird (1938–2021), second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda (1994–2004)
 * Lester Cotton (born 1996), American football player
 * Lester del Rey (1915–1993), American science fiction author and editor
 * Lester Flatt (1914–1979), American bluegrass musician
 * Lester Gillis (1908–1934), better known as Baby Face Nelson, American gangster
 * 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
 * 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
 * Brad Lester (born 1985), collegiate American football player
 * 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
 * Sir Jim Lester (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 (born 2000), American actress
 * Julius Lester (1939–2018), American writer
 * Lashonda Lester (c. 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 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

 * James Lester, from the television series Primeval
 * Lester Patel, from the television series Chuck
 * Lester Freamon, from the television show The Wire
 * Lester Krinklesac, from the television show The Cleveland Show
 * Lester Nessman from the television show WKRP in Cincinnati
 * Lester Nygaard, from the television series Fargo
 * Lester Sludge, from the television show M.A.S.K.
 * Lester Crest, from the video game Grand Theft Auto V
 * Lester Papadopoulos, from the book series Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan
 * Lester Burnham, main character in the film American Beauty
 * Arthur Lester, main character in the podcast Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie

Middle name

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