Total births
6,786
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.
- #743
- among boys today
- 6,786
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
6,786 babies have been named Wes since 1880, making it today's #743 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wes has been recorded 6,786 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #743 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.
- #743 among boys today
- 6,786 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wes is currently the #743 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 6,786 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #743
- among boys today
- 6,786
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Wes vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#743
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Wes was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
376 babies were named Wes in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Wes compares
6,786 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Wes's all-time total is 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wes | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,786 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 376 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#743
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Wes's total US births 12.1%
Even split
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? ▼
6,786 babies have been named Wes since 1880. It currently ranks #743 among boys. The peak year was 2025 with 376 births.
When was Wes most popular? ▼
Wes was most popular in the 2020s decade with 1,831 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Wes most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wes are California (819 births), Texas (444 births), New York (242 births).
How long has the name Wes been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Wes since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Wes? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wesley, Weston, Westley, Westin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Wes
Nearby Names Like Wes
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wes
Wesley Boy
#58 247,713 births
Weston Boy
#70 75,907 births
Westley Boy
#656 10,119 births
Westin Boy
#727 7,414 births
West Boy
#1325 3,692 births
Compare Wes side by side: Wes vs Wesley Wes vs Weston Wes vs Westley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wes
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. "Wes: #743 Boys' Name - 6,786 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wes. 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 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 June 2026.