Wesley
Wesley was given to 5,578 boys in 2025, #52 among boys’ names; 250,969 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 194,000 Americans named Wesley and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (77% of everyone recorded); the median is 33 years old and half are between 12 and 49.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Wesley by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Wesley mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Wesley is “a male given name transferred from the surname, of 18th century and later usage, today often without any religious connotations.” Its etymology gives the senses “west” (west) and “wood, clearing” (lēah).
Several places in England, from Old English west (“west”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). Equivalent to west + -ley (“lea”).
/ˈwɛsli/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Wesley?
#52 among boys’ names, 2025
Wesley rose from #126 in 2015 to #52 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 1.7 to 3.3 per 1,000.
5,679 babies in 2025, the peak
Wesley peaked in 2025, when 5,679 babies were given it (5,578 boys, #52 among boys’ names). In 2024 it went to 5,162 boys.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,578 | #52 | 3.3 |
| 2024 | 5,162 | #58 | 3.0 |
| 2023 | 4,555 | #70 | 2.7 |
| 2022 | 4,668 | #70 | 2.7 |
| 2021 | 4,216 | #85 | 2.4 |
| 2020 | 3,706 | #98 | 2.1 |
| 2019 | 3,764 | #99 | 2.1 |
| 2018 | 3,628 | #105 | 2.0 |
| 2017 | 3,577 | #111 | 1.9 |
| 2016 | 3,429 | #117 | 1.8 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,233 | #126 | 1.7 |
| 2014 | 3,143 | #130 | 1.6 |
| 2013 | 2,837 | #139 | 1.5 |
| 2012 | 2,649 | #155 | 1.4 |
| 2011 | 2,476 | #156 | 1.3 |
| 2010 | 2,431 | #159 | 1.3 |
| 2009 | 2,211 | #176 | 1.1 |
| 2008 | 2,067 | #194 | 1.0 |
| 2007 | 2,064 | #195 | 1.0 |
| 2006 | 2,103 | #190 | 1.0 |
| 2005 | 2,113 | #189 | 1.1 |
| 2004 | 2,108 | #184 | 1.1 |
| 2003 | 2,123 | #184 | 1.1 |
| 2002 | 2,051 | #183 | 1.1 |
| 2001 | 2,028 | #184 | 1.0 |
| 2000 | 2,216 | #171 | 1.1 |
| 1999 | 2,207 | #168 | 1.1 |
| 1998 | 2,242 | #153 | 1.2 |
| 1997 | 2,358 | #144 | 1.3 |
| 1996 | 2,616 | #137 | 1.4 |
| 1995 | 2,798 | #129 | 1.5 |
| 1994 | 3,031 | #118 | 1.6 |
| 1993 | 3,172 | #113 | 1.6 |
| 1992 | 3,239 | #111 | 1.6 |
| 1991 | 3,267 | #106 | 1.6 |
| 1990 | 3,316 | #107 | 1.6 |
| 1989 | 3,457 | #98 | 1.7 |
| 1988 | 3,478 | #93 | 1.8 |
| 1987 | 3,244 | #92 | 1.7 |
| 1986 | 3,043 | #96 | 1.7 |
| 1985 | 3,043 | #94 | 1.6 |
| 1984 | 2,799 | #101 | 1.6 |
| 1983 | 2,788 | #101 | 1.6 |
| 1982 | 3,031 | #98 | 1.7 |
| 1981 | 3,040 | #99 | 1.7 |
| 1980 | 3,165 | #95 | 1.8 |
| 1979 | 3,237 | #89 | 1.9 |
| 1978 | 3,306 | #83 | 2.0 |
| 1977 | 4,302 | #66 | 2.6 |
| 1976 | 2,147 | #119 | 1.4 |
| 1975 | 1,531 | #158 | 1.0 |
| 1974 | 1,467 | #165 | 0.93 |
| 1973 | 1,554 | #158 | 1.0 |
| 1972 | 1,690 | #154 | 1.0 |
| 1971 | 1,959 | #151 | 1.1 |
| 1970 | 2,059 | #152 | 1.1 |
| 1969 | 1,861 | #157 | 1.0 |
| 1968 | 1,642 | #165 | 0.94 |
| 1967 | 1,587 | #168 | 0.91 |
| 1966 | 1,803 | #157 | 1.0 |
| 1965 | 1,860 | #160 | 1.0 |
| 1964 | 1,969 | #162 | 1.0 |
| 1963 | 2,100 | #157 | 1.0 |
| 1962 | 1,963 | #162 | 0.95 |
| 1961 | 2,002 | #163 | 0.94 |
| 1960 | 2,020 | #164 | 0.95 |
| 1959 | 2,000 | #160 | 0.94 |
| 1958 | 1,954 | #160 | 0.92 |
| 1957 | 1,993 | #160 | 0.92 |
| 1956 | 2,004 | #157 | 0.95 |
| 1955 | 1,925 | #151 | 0.93 |
| 1954 | 1,844 | #155 | 0.90 |
| 1953 | 1,733 | #159 | 0.88 |
| 1952 | 1,594 | #166 | 0.82 |
| 1951 | 1,500 | #171 | 0.80 |
| 1950 | 1,527 | #165 | 0.85 |
| 1949 | 1,406 | #166 | 0.79 |
| 1948 | 1,336 | #169 | 0.76 |
| 1947 | 1,459 | #163 | 0.80 |
| 1946 | 1,248 | #167 | 0.77 |
| 1945 | 1,107 | #163 | 0.82 |
| 1944 | 1,169 | #159 | 0.86 |
| 1943 | 1,267 | #155 | 0.89 |
| 1942 | 1,253 | #155 | 0.91 |
| 1941 | 1,091 | #158 | 0.89 |
| 1940 | 1,129 | #152 | 1.0 |
| 1939 | 1,113 | #146 | 1.0 |
| 1938 | 1,074 | #150 | 1.0 |
| 1937 | 1,065 | #146 | 1.0 |
| 1936 | 1,061 | #145 | 1.0 |
| 1935 | 1,040 | #148 | 1.0 |
| 1934 | 1,118 | #142 | 1.1 |
| 1933 | 1,030 | #147 | 1.0 |
| 1932 | 1,135 | #144 | 1.1 |
| 1931 | 1,115 | #143 | 1.1 |
| 1930 | 1,186 | #142 | 1.1 |
| 1929 | 1,182 | #143 | 1.1 |
| 1928 | 1,181 | #143 | 1.1 |
| 1927 | 1,324 | #134 | 1.2 |
| 1926 | 1,320 | #132 | 1.2 |
| 1925 | 1,265 | #135 | 1.1 |
| 1924 | 1,347 | #131 | 1.2 |
| 1923 | 1,379 | #125 | 1.3 |
| 1922 | 1,287 | #127 | 1.2 |
| 1921 | 1,332 | #127 | 1.2 |
| 1920 | 1,244 | #129 | 1.2 |
| 1919 | 1,099 | #135 | 1.1 |
| 1918 | 1,145 | #137 | 1.1 |
| 1917 | 1,014 | #136 | 1.1 |
| 1916 | 1,026 | #135 | 1.2 |
| 1915 | 990 | #133 | 1.2 |
| 1914 | 789 | #132 | 1.2 |
| 1913 | 585 | #133 | 1.1 |
| 1912 | 485 | #134 | 1.1 |
| 1911 | 261 | #131 | 1.2 |
| 1910 | 209 | #152 | 1.1 |
| 1909 | 197 | #136 | 1.2 |
| 1908 | 185 | #135 | 1.2 |
| 1907 | 191 | #125 | 1.3 |
| 1906 | 155 | #135 | 1.2 |
| 1905 | 174 | #123 | 1.3 |
| 1904 | 166 | #128 | 1.3 |
| 1903 | 153 | #126 | 1.3 |
| 1902 | 145 | #133 | 1.2 |
| 1901 | 146 | #116 | 1.4 |
| 1900 | 181 | #128 | 1.2 |
| 1899 | 119 | #136 | 1.1 |
| 1898 | 151 | #124 | 1.2 |
| 1897 | 121 | #136 | 1.1 |
| 1896 | 145 | #122 | 1.2 |
| 1895 | 156 | #112 | 1.3 |
| 1894 | 149 | #113 | 1.3 |
| 1893 | 136 | #119 | 1.2 |
| 1892 | 142 | #120 | 1.2 |
| 1891 | 115 | #120 | 1.1 |
| 1890 | 131 | #117 | 1.2 |
| 1889 | 101 | #147 | 0.91 |
| 1888 | 147 | #113 | 1.2 |
| 1887 | 115 | #116 | 1.1 |
| 1886 | 121 | #121 | 1.1 |
| 1885 | 108 | #128 | 1.0 |
| 1884 | 120 | #121 | 1.0 |
| 1883 | 104 | #122 | 1.0 |
| 1882 | 145 | #102 | 1.3 |
| 1881 | 102 | #119 | 1.0 |
| 1880 | 123 | #109 | 1.1 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Wesley a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 250,969 Americans recorded as Wesley, 1% are girls and 99% boys. In 2025 it went to 101 girls and 5,578 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Wesley: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Wesley, and how old are they?
194,000 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 77% of the 250,969 Americans ever recorded as Wesley. The median Wesley alive today is 33 years old; half are between 12 and 49.
The 2020 Census counted 155,434 people named Wesley (1,717 women and girls, 153,717 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 174,542 born in the U.S. The Census count is 11% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 4,030 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 22,800 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 31,600 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 47,600 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 35,300 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 52,200 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Wesley born?
The states with the most babies named Wesley are California, Texas and Florida, with 20% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 445 | #90 | 0.8× |
| Texas | 417 | #98 | 1.0× |
| Florida | 260 | #83 | 0.9× |
| Ohio | 258 | #31 | 0.9× |
| New York | 249 | #66 | 0.5× |
| Pennsylvania | 235 | #47 | 0.7× |
| Michigan | 218 | #21 | 0.9× |
| North Carolina | 200 | #51 | 1.3× |
| Massachusetts | 179 | #23 | 0.7× |
| Wisconsin | 172 | #14 | 0.9× |
Where Wesley is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Wesley is most over-represented in Oklahoma: since 1910 it was given 1.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Wesley with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 254,188 babies since 1880, Wesley is the most given (99% of them). In 2025 it was given to 5,679 of their 5,759 babies (99%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Wesley
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Wesley and names like it
- Compare Wesley and WesleeBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sWesley peaked in 2025.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Wesley since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Wesley: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Wesley.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Wesley alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with WMost given first.