Chester comes from the English city of Chester, whose name goes back to the Latin castra and means "camp" or "fortress" of the Roman legions. In America it is the name of 21st president Chester A. Arthur and was a popular choice around 1900, before becoming the stuff of cartoons and cheetahs. Chester has held steady in the lower ranks for decades, from number 1228 in 2000 to number 1588 in 2025.