Total births
513
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.
- #8327
- among boys today
- 513
- born since 1883
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 42%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Wess is the #8327 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 #8327 nationally and more common than 42% 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.
- #8327 among boys today
- 513 born since 1883
- 1960s peak decade
- 42% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wess is currently the #8327 boys' name in America, more common than 42% of boys - 513 born since 1883, peaking in the 1960s.
- #8327
- among boys today
- 513
- born since 1883
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 42%
- more common than other boys
Wess vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8327
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 42% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Wess was born in this single decade.
1965
Single peak year
16 babies were named Wess in 1965 - its busiest year on record.
How Wess compares
513 Top 43% higher than 57% 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
Wess's all-time total is 40% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wess | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 513 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 16 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1965
Current rank
#8,327
Active since
1883
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wess by state
Where Wess concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 1.9% |
California share of Wess's total US births 1.9%
10 of 513 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wess? ▼
513 babies have been named Wess since 1883. It currently ranks #8327 among boys. The peak year was 1965 with 16 births.
When was Wess most popular? ▼
Wess was most popular in the 1960s decade with 107 total births. The single peak year was 1965.
Where is Wess most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wess are California (10 births).
How long has the name Wess been used? ▼
Wess has been recorded in Social Security data since 1883, spanning 143 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Wess? ▼
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 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
- 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 Wess
Nearby Names Like Wess
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wess
Wesley Boy
#58 247,713 births
Weston Boy
#70 75,907 births
Westley Boy
#656 10,119 births
Westin Boy
#727 7,414 births
Wes Boy
#743 6,786 births
Compare Wess side by side: Wess vs Wesley Wess vs Weston Wess vs Westley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wess
Florencio #8326
3,090 births · Peak 1924
Alphonsus #8328
454 births · Peak 1917
Gregg #8325
36,512 births · Peak 1962
Clemens #8329
1,641 births · Peak 1918
Hurley #8324
2,581 births · Peak 1919
Epifanio #8330
1,997 births · Peak 1930
Roe #8323
909 births · Peak 1916
Laverne #8331
13,246 births · Peak 1928
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, 1883–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wess: #8327 Boys' Name - 513 Births, Peak 1965." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wess. 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 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 June 2026.