Total births
354,818
Boys' name · since 1880
Wayne
354,818 babies named Wayne in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1947. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #686
- among boys today
- 354,818
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
354,818 babies have been named Wayne since 1880, making it today's #686 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Wayne recorded 354,818 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #686 nationally today, ahead of 95% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #686 among boys today
- 354,818 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wayne is currently the #686 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 354,818 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #686
- among boys today
- 354,818
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Wayne vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#686
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Wayne was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
10,169 babies were named Wayne in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Wayne compares
354,818 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Wayne's all-time total is 967x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wayne | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 354,818 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10,169 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wayne's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Wayne's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 48% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 52%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 22 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 10,169, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Wayne at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#686
Active since
1880
Wayne popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 10,169
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wayne popularity over time - girls
1,604 total births recorded since 1910 (Wayne as girls' name)
Wayne by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Wayne's strongest decade.
88,092 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Wayne births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 283
1880s
283 births
- 1890s 509
1890s
509 births
- 1900s 1,158
1900s
1,158 births
- 1910s 11,572
1910s
11,572 births
- 1920s 26,402
1920s
26,402 births
- 1930s
1930s
41,141 births
- 1940s
1940s
75,131 births
- 1950s
1950s
88,092 births
- 1960s
1960s
54,762 births
- 1970s 24,616
1970s
24,616 births
- 1980s 14,750
1980s
14,750 births
- 1990s 7,502
1990s
7,502 births
- 2000s 3,719
2000s
3,719 births
- 2010s 3,052
2010s
3,052 births
- 2020s 2,129
2020s
2,129 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 88,092 births (25% of all-time use).
How Wayne 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 Wayne's total volume
Wayne vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wayne by state
Where Wayne concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 24,094 | 6.8% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 22,886 | 6.5% |
| #3 | California | | 20,781 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 20,167 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 16,296 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 14,462 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Texas | | 13,140 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 11,180 | 3.2% |
New York share of Wayne's total US births 6.8%
Even split
24,094 of 354,818 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Wayne appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wayne? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 354,818 babies named Wayne. Today it holds rank #686 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 10,169 births.
When was Wayne most popular? ▼
Wayne was most popular in the 1950s decade with 88,092 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Wayne most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wayne are New York (24,094 births), Pennsylvania (22,886 births), California (20,781 births).
How long has the name Wayne been used? ▼
Records for Wayne go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Wayne? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Waylon, Waymon, Wayland, Wayman, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wayne's data
- Wayne's decade-level peak was the 1950s (88,092 total births); usage has since declined to 2,129 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Waynes (24,094 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Wayne
Nearby Names Like Wayne
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wayne
Waylon Boy
#65 55,048 births
Waymon Boy
4,746 births
Wayland Boy
#3105 4,220 births
Wayman Boy
2,850 births
Waylen Boy
#795 2,552 births
Compare Wayne side by side: Wayne vs Waylon Wayne vs Waymon Wayne vs Wayland
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wayne
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wayne: #686 Boys' Name - 354,818 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wayne. 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 Wayne 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.