Boys' name · since 1883
Wess
513 babies named Wess in U.S. Social Security records since 1883, with the highest year being 1965. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7,784 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,927 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 513
- born since 1883
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Wess is the #8927 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 513 recorded since 1883.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wess has been recorded 513 times among boys since 1883, currently ranked #8927 nationally and more common than 36% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2025.
- #7,784 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #8,927 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 513 born since 1883
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wess ranks #7,784 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,927 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 513 born since 1883, peaking in the 1960s.
- #7,784 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,927 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 513
- born since 1883
- 1960s
- peak decade
Wess's 513 recorded births place it above 82.88% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Wess compares
513 Top 44% higher than 56% 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
Wess's all-time total is 39% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wess | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 513 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 16 | 34 | 22,252 |
Wess's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wess splits its recorded history at 1969: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1891 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1965 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wess popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (1965)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Wess by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (107 births, 21% of the file).
1960s was Wess's strongest decade.
107 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Wess births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 7
1880s
7 births
- 1890s 22
1890s
22 births
- 1900s 11
1900s
11 births
- 1910s 25
1910s
25 births
- 1920s 17
1920s
17 births
- 1930s 21
1930s
21 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s
1950s
44 births
- 1960s
1960s
107 births
- 1970s
1970s
75 births
- 1980s
1980s
69 births
- 1990s 11
1990s
11 births
- 2000s 30
2000s
30 births
- 2010s 19
2010s
19 births
- 2020s
2020s
50 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 107 births (21% of all-time use).
How Wess 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 Wess's total volume
Wess by state
Where Wess concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 1.9% |
10 of 513 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Wess's data
- Wess's usage has stayed within range of its 1960s decade-level peak (107 total births) through the 2020s (50) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Wesss (10 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 Wess
Nearby Names Like Wess
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wess
Compare Wess side by side: Wess vs Wesley Wess vs Weston Wess vs Westley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wess
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wess: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1965)
Similar record span (~142 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, 1883–2025 (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 Wess 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.