Total births
470
Boys' name · since 1915
Welles
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 470 babies named Welles, peaking in 2021. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3537
- among boys today
- 470
- born since 1915
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Welles currently ranks #3537 among boys' names in America, with 470 babies recorded since 1915.
Social Security Administration records show Welles recorded 470 times among boys since 1915, holding rank #3537 nationally today, ahead of 75% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #3537 among boys today
- 470 born since 1915
- 2020s peak decade
- 75% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Welles is currently the #3537 boys' name in America, more common than 75% of boys - 470 born since 1915, peaking in the 2020s.
- #3537
- among boys today
- 470
- born since 1915
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Welles vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3537
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 75% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Welles was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
56 babies were named Welles in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Welles compares
470 Top 45% higher than 55% 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
Welles's all-time total is 28% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Welles | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 470 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 56 | 23 | 22,252 |
Welles's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Welles's full recorded timeline at 2017, 79% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 21% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1915, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2021 peak of 56 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Welles at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2021
Current rank
#3,537
Active since
1915
Welles popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 56
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Welles popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 2019 (Welles as girls' name)
Welles by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Welles's strongest decade.
237 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Welles births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 10
1910s
10 births
- 2010s
2010s
223 births
- 2020s
2020s
237 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 237 births (50% of all-time use).
Welles by state
Where Welles concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 13 | 2.8% |
| #2 | California | | 12 | 2.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 7 | 1.5% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 5 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 5 | 1.1% |
| #6 | Texas | | 5 | 1.1% |
Pennsylvania share of Welles's total US births 2.8%
Even split
13 of 470 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Welles? ▼
470 babies have been named Welles since 1915. It currently ranks #3537 among boys. The peak year was 2021 with 56 births.
When was Welles most popular? ▼
Welles was most popular in the 2020s decade with 237 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Welles most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Welles are Pennsylvania (13 births), California (12 births), New York (7 births).
How long has the name Welles been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Welles since 1915 -- 111 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Welles? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Weldon, Wells, Wellington, Welton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Welles's data
- Pennsylvania records the most Welless (13 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Welles
Nearby Names Like Welles
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Welles
Weldon Boy
#2962 14,249 births
Wells Boy
#377 6,989 births
Wellington Boy
#3220 2,879 births
Welton Boy
2,594 births
Welford Boy
487 births
Compare Welles side by side: Welles vs Weldon Welles vs Wells Welles vs Wellington
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Welles
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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Welles: #3537 Boys' Name - 470 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/welles. 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 Welles 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.