Total births
247,713
Boys' name · since 1880
Wesley
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 247,713 babies named Wesley, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #58
- among boys today
- 247,713
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
247,713 babies have been named Wesley since 1880, making it today's #58 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wesley has been recorded 247,713 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #58 nationally and more common than 99.6% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. 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.
- #58 among boys today
- 247,713 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wesley is currently the #58 boys' name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 247,713 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #58
- among boys today
- 247,713
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Wesley vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#58
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Wesley was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
5,578 babies were named Wesley in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Wesley compares
247,713 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
Wesley's all-time total is 675x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wesley | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 247,713 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,578 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wesley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wesley splits its recorded history at 1953: 79% of all births land in the more recent half, 21% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1889 (101 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 5,578 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wesley at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#58
Active since
1880
Wesley popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 5,578
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wesley popularity over time - girls
3,256 total births recorded since 1890 (Wesley as girls' name)
Wesley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Wesley's strongest decade.
31,167 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Wesley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,186
1880s
1,186 births
- 1890s 1,365
1890s
1,365 births
- 1900s 1,693
1900s
1,693 births
- 1910s 7,603
1910s
7,603 births
- 1920s
1920s
12,861 births
- 1930s 10,937
1930s
10,937 births
- 1940s 12,465
1940s
12,465 births
- 1950s
1950s
18,074 births
- 1960s
1960s
18,807 births
- 1970s
1970s
23,252 births
- 1980s
1980s
31,088 births
- 1990s
1990s
28,246 births
- 2000s
2000s
21,084 births
- 2010s
2010s
31,167 births
- 2020s
2020s
27,885 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 31,167 births (13% of all-time use).
How Wesley 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 Wesley's total volume
Wesley vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wesley by state
Where Wesley concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 19,503 | 7.9% |
| #2 | California | | 19,482 | 7.9% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 10,378 | 4.2% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 9,748 | 3.9% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 9,437 | 3.8% |
| #6 | New York | | 9,402 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 9,394 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 9,105 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Wesley's total US births 7.9%
Even split
19,503 of 247,713 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Wesley appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wesley? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 247,713 babies named Wesley. Today it holds rank #58 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2025, with 5,578 births.
When was Wesley most popular? ▼
Wesley was most popular in the 2010s decade with 31,167 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Wesley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wesley are Texas (19,503 births), California (19,482 births), Ohio (10,378 births).
How long has the name Wesley been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Wesley since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Wesley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Weston, Westley, Westin, Wes, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wesley's data
- Wesley's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (31,167 total births) through the 2020s (27,885) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Wesleys (19,503 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Wesley
Nearby Names Like Wesley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wesley
Weston Boy
#70 75,907 births
Westley Boy
#656 10,119 births
Westin Boy
#727 7,414 births
Wes Boy
#743 6,786 births
West Boy
#1325 3,692 births
Compare Wesley side by side: Wesley vs Weston Wesley vs Westley Wesley vs Westin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wesley
Joshua #57
1,248,929 births · Peak 1989
Jayden #59
253,989 births · Peak 2009
Isaiah #56
254,020 births · Peak 2006
Bennett #60
72,514 births · Peak 2025
Thiago #55
35,200 births · Peak 2025
Christopher #61
2,069,596 births · Peak 1984
Ezekiel #54
83,605 births · Peak 2022
Nathan #62
587,497 births · Peak 2004
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. "Wesley: #58 Boys' Name - 247,713 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wesley. 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 Wesley 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.