US rank #1335 Boys' name Peak 2024 3,530 births

West — #1335 US boys' name

3,530 babies named West in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

1880s1281890s1111900s1121910s2241920s2541930s1651940s1531950s1711960s1511970s1481980s1661990s1732000s3112010s7332020s530
#1335
of 14,243 boys in use

More common than 91% of names given to boys today.

2010s
Peak decade

21% of everyone ever named West was born in this single decade.

2024
Single peak year

143 babies were named West in 2024 — its busiest year on record.

What the Data Says About West

The Social Security Administration has registered 3,530 babies named West between 1880 and 2024, spanning 145 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a boy's name, West currently holds the #1335 rank among boys for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 2024, when 143 babies received it in a single year.

Decade-level aggregation shows that West performed strongest in the 2010s, accumulating 733 births during that ten-year window. Across the 15 decades of recorded activity, West shows a stable profile with only moderate drift from its peak decade. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in California, which accounts for 396 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by Texas and Mississippi. In total, SSA state-level files list West in 18 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.

No etymological entry is currently available for West in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 3,530 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.

West at a glance

Outside the top 1,000

Total births

3,530

Since 1880

145 years of records

Peak year

2024

143 births that year

Strongest decade: 2010s

Current rank

#1,335

Among boys

As of 2024

Active since

1880

Recorded for 145 years

Last year on file: 2024

West popularity over time — boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1880

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (2024)
143
Annual births at peak — across 145 years of records
050100150 202420051986196719481929191018911880 13

West popularity over time — girls

20 total births recorded since 2019 (West as girls' name)

Unisex variant — 20 births
456789 202420222019 5

West by decade

Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance

Peak: 2010s
Peak decade
2010s
733 births that decade — 21% of West's all-time total
1880s1281890s1111900s1121910s2241920s2541930s1651940s1531950s1711960s1511970s1481980s1661990s1732000s3112010s7332020s530

West by state

Where West concentrates geographically — total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name West
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
396 11.2%
#2 Texas
160 4.5%
#3 Mississippi
79 2.2%
#4 Georgia
42 1.2%
#5 Utah
26 0.7%
#6 North Carolina
22 0.6%
#7 Colorado
18 0.5%
#8 Florida
17 0.5%
California share of West's total US births 11.2%
Even split

396 of 3,530 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.

West appears in 18 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name West?
3,530 babies have been named West since 1880. It currently ranks #1335 among boys. The peak year was 2024 with 143 births.
When was West most popular?
West was most popular in the 2010s decade with 733 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is West most popular?
The top states for the name West are California (396 births), Texas (160 births), Mississippi (79 births).
How long has the name West been used?
West has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 145 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to West?
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.

Keep exploring West

Nearby Names Like West

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to West

Names with a similar popularity rank to West

Baby Name Guides

Learn more about naming trends and how to use data to choose a name

Explore more names

Data Sources

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.