Total births
4,954
Boys' name · since 1910
Wally
Wally has 4,954 recorded births since 1910 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6219
- among boys today
- 4,954
- born since 1910
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 56%
- more common than other boys
Wally currently ranks #6219 among boys' names in America, with 4,954 babies recorded since 1910.
Social Security Administration records show Wally recorded 4,954 times among boys since 1910, holding rank #6219 nationally today, ahead of 56% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1910 to 2025.
- #6219 among boys today
- 4,954 born since 1910
- 1960s peak decade
- 56% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wally is currently the #6219 boys' name in America, more common than 56% of boys - 4,954 born since 1910, peaking in the 1960s.
- #6219
- among boys today
- 4,954
- born since 1910
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 56%
- more common than other boys
Wally vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6219
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 56% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Wally was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
185 babies were named Wally in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Wally compares
4,954 Top 12% higher than 88% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Wally's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wally | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,954 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 185 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wally's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wally splits its recorded history at 1967: 24% of all births land in the more recent half, 76% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1910 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1959 peak of 185 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wally at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#6,219
Active since
1910
Wally popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 185
- Annual births at peak, across 116 years of records
Wally popularity over time - girls
147 total births recorded since 1915 (Wally as girls' name)
Wally by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Wally's strongest decade.
1,054 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Wally births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 120
1910s
120 births
- 1920s 318
1920s
318 births
- 1930s
1930s
587 births
- 1940s
1940s
916 births
- 1950s
1950s
937 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,054 births
- 1970s 373
1970s
373 births
- 1980s 219
1980s
219 births
- 1990s 121
1990s
121 births
- 2000s 102
2000s
102 births
- 2010s 122
2010s
122 births
- 2020s 85
2020s
85 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,054 births (21% of all-time use).
How Wally compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Wally's total volume
Wally vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wally by state
Where Wally concentrates geographically, total births since 1910
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 445 | 9.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 294 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 234 | 4.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 179 | 3.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 104 | 2.1% |
| #6 | Washington | | 74 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 68 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Oregon | | 35 | 0.7% |
California share of Wally's total US births 9.0%
Even split
445 of 4,954 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Wally appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wally? ▼
4,954 babies have been named Wally since 1910. It currently ranks #6219 among boys. The peak year was 1959 with 185 births.
When was Wally most popular? ▼
Wally was most popular in the 1960s decade with 1,054 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Wally most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wally are California (445 births), Texas (294 births), Illinois (234 births).
How long has the name Wally been used? ▼
Records for Wally go back to 1910, giving 116 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Wally? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Walter, Wallace, Walker, Walton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wally's data
- Wally's decade-level peak was the 1960s (1,054 total births); usage has since declined to 85 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Wallys (445 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wally
Nearby Names Like Wally
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wally
Walter Boy
#271 631,172 births
Wallace Boy
#983 83,263 births
Walker Boy
#82 47,914 births
Walton Boy
#3275 5,889 births
Waldo Boy
5,716 births
Compare Wally side by side: Wally vs Walter Wally vs Wallace Wally vs Walker
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wally
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1910–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wally: #6219 Boys' Name - 4,954 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wally. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Wally draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.