Boys' name · since 1880
Wes
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 6,786 babies named Wes, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,486 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #715 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,786
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
6,786 babies have been named Wes since 1880, making it today's #715 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wes has been recorded 6,786 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #715 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1,486 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #715 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 6,786 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wes ranks #1,486 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #715 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 6,786 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1,486 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #715 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,786
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
Wes's 6,786 recorded births place it above 96.73% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
38 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Wes compares
6,786 Top 11% higher than 89% of 13,930 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
Wes's all-time total is 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wes | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,786 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 376 | 34 | 22,252 |
Wes's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Wes's full recorded timeline at 1973, 69% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 31% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 376 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Wes popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 376
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wes by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (1,831 births, 27% of the file).
2020s was Wes's strongest decade.
1,831 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Wes births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 23
1880s
23 births
- 1910s 19
1910s
19 births
- 1920s 39
1920s
39 births
- 1930s 51
1930s
51 births
- 1940s 160
1940s
160 births
- 1950s 485
1950s
485 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,110 births
- 1970s 571
1970s
571 births
- 1980s 392
1980s
392 births
- 1990s 228
1990s
228 births
- 2000s 480
2000s
480 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,397 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,831 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,831 births (27% of all-time use).
How Wes 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 Wes's total volume
Wes by state
Where Wes concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 819 | 12.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 444 | 6.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 242 | 3.6% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 149 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 146 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 145 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 133 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 132 | 1.9% |
819 of 6,786 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Wes appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wes? ▼
Where does Wes sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Wes most popular? ▼
Where is Wes most popular? ▼
How long has the name Wes been used? ▼
What names are similar to Wes? ▼
What to do with Wes's data
- California records the most Wess (819 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wes
Nearby Names Like Wes
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wes
Compare Wes side by side: Wes vs Wesley Wes vs Weston Wes vs Westley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wes
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wes: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 Wes 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 August 2026.