West
West was given to 159 boys in 2025, #1,255 among boys’ names; 3,720 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 2,530 Americans named West and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (68% of everyone recorded); the median is 14 years old and half are between 6 and 35.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of West by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
How popular is West?
#1,255 among boys’ names, 2025
West rose from #1,930 in 2015 to #1,255 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 39.7 to 93.1 per million.
167 babies in 2025, the peak
West peaked in 2025, when 167 babies were given it (159 boys, #1,255 among boys’ names). In 2024 it went to 145 boys.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 159 | #1,255 | 0.09 |
| 2024 | 145 | #1,331 | 0.08 |
| 2023 | 87 | #1,850 | 0.05 |
| 2022 | 130 | #1,420 | 0.07 |
| 2021 | 90 | #1,783 | 0.05 |
| 2020 | 81 | #1,847 | 0.05 |
| 2019 | 98 | #1,657 | 0.05 |
| 2018 | 82 | #1,852 | 0.05 |
| 2017 | 80 | #1,859 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 72 | #2,008 | 0.04 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 76 | #1,930 | 0.04 |
| 2014 | 60 | #2,252 | 0.03 |
| 2013 | 78 | #1,849 | 0.04 |
| 2012 | 74 | #1,939 | 0.04 |
| 2011 | 61 | #2,171 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 52 | #2,425 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 60 | #2,228 | 0.03 |
| 2008 | 42 | #2,875 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 40 | #2,969 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 42 | #2,782 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 25 | #3,806 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 29 | #3,362 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 18 | #4,601 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 10 | #7,014 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 28 | #3,218 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 17 | #4,557 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 22 | #3,579 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 14 | #4,858 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 13 | #4,941 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 22 | #3,283 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 14 | #4,495 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 23 | #3,099 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 20 | #3,357 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 10 | #5,635 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 18 | #3,444 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 17 | #3,595 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 17 | #3,436 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 11 | #4,431 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 12 | #3,946 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 13 | #3,644 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 22 | #2,423 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 15 | #3,099 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 18 | #2,672 | 0.01 |
| 1982 | 18 | #2,705 | 0.01 |
| 1981 | 24 | #2,202 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 16 | #2,959 | 0.01 |
| 1979 | 10 | #4,057 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 12 | #3,395 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 19 | #2,456 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 15 | #2,821 | 0.01 |
| 1975 | 7 | #4,787 | under 0.01 |
| 1974 | 15 | #2,670 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 11 | #3,214 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 16 | #2,416 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 19 | #2,201 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 24 | #1,844 | 0.01 |
| 1969 | 17 | #2,126 | 0.01 |
| 1968 | 19 | #1,892 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 11 | #2,603 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 15 | #2,129 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 15 | #2,173 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 18 | #1,970 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 10 | #2,848 | under 0.01 |
| 1962 | 15 | #2,182 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 17 | #2,066 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 14 | #2,311 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 16 | #2,108 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 19 | #1,893 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 17 | #2,016 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 18 | #1,943 | 0.01 |
| 1955 | 16 | #2,044 | 0.01 |
| 1954 | 12 | #2,440 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 19 | #1,833 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 21 | #1,699 | 0.01 |
| 1951 | 18 | #1,835 | 0.01 |
| 1950 | 15 | #2,017 | 0.01 |
| 1949 | 19 | #1,751 | 0.01 |
| 1948 | 12 | #2,321 | 0.01 |
| 1947 | 15 | #2,072 | 0.01 |
| 1946 | 13 | #2,139 | 0.01 |
| 1945 | 22 | #1,443 | 0.02 |
| 1944 | 14 | #1,986 | 0.01 |
| 1943 | 16 | #1,906 | 0.01 |
| 1942 | 16 | #1,865 | 0.01 |
| 1941 | 15 | #1,898 | 0.01 |
| 1940 | 11 | #2,316 | 0.01 |
| 1939 | 18 | #1,634 | 0.02 |
| 1938 | 18 | #1,685 | 0.02 |
| 1937 | 7 | #3,166 | 0.01 |
| 1936 | 18 | #1,637 | 0.02 |
| 1935 | 16 | #1,833 | 0.02 |
| 1934 | 17 | #1,781 | 0.02 |
| 1933 | 17 | #1,767 | 0.02 |
| 1932 | 19 | #1,711 | 0.02 |
| 1931 | 17 | #1,840 | 0.02 |
| 1930 | 18 | #1,816 | 0.02 |
| 1929 | 17 | #1,928 | 0.02 |
| 1928 | 21 | #1,705 | 0.02 |
| 1927 | 36 | #1,225 | 0.03 |
| 1926 | 26 | #1,464 | 0.02 |
| 1925 | 29 | #1,389 | 0.03 |
| 1924 | 28 | #1,456 | 0.02 |
| 1923 | 15 | #2,218 | 0.01 |
| 1922 | 27 | #1,468 | 0.02 |
| 1921 | 26 | #1,505 | 0.02 |
| 1920 | 29 | #1,380 | 0.03 |
| 1919 | 30 | #1,319 | 0.03 |
| 1918 | 29 | #1,341 | 0.03 |
| 1917 | 21 | #1,640 | 0.02 |
| 1916 | 23 | #1,501 | 0.03 |
| 1915 | 21 | #1,549 | 0.02 |
| 1914 | 19 | #1,439 | 0.03 |
| 1913 | 28 | #949 | 0.05 |
| 1912 | 20 | #1,058 | 0.05 |
| 1911 | 14 | #923 | 0.06 |
| 1910 | 19 | #706 | 0.10 |
| 1909 | 12 | #890 | 0.07 |
| 1908 | 8 | #1,108 | 0.05 |
| 1907 | 12 | #812 | 0.08 |
| 1906 | 9 | #923 | 0.07 |
| 1905 | 13 | #697 | 0.10 |
| 1904 | 13 | #684 | 0.10 |
| 1903 | 9 | #843 | 0.08 |
| 1902 | 12 | #683 | 0.10 |
| 1901 | 11 | #680 | 0.10 |
| 1900 | 13 | #737 | 0.09 |
| 1899 | 8 | #852 | 0.08 |
| 1898 | 16 | #541 | 0.13 |
| 1897 | 8 | #849 | 0.07 |
| 1896 | 11 | #721 | 0.09 |
| 1895 | 11 | #681 | 0.09 |
| 1894 | 9 | #784 | 0.08 |
| 1893 | 11 | #649 | 0.10 |
| 1892 | 12 | #639 | 0.10 |
| 1891 | 12 | #562 | 0.12 |
| 1890 | 13 | #564 | 0.12 |
| 1889 | 7 | #876 | 0.06 |
| 1888 | 12 | #607 | 0.10 |
| 1887 | 9 | #677 | 0.09 |
| 1886 | 21 | #396 | 0.19 |
| 1885 | 10 | #638 | 0.09 |
| 1884 | 19 | #432 | 0.17 |
| 1883 | 11 | #594 | 0.11 |
| 1882 | 11 | #610 | 0.10 |
| 1881 | 15 | #458 | 0.15 |
| 1880 | 13 | #523 | 0.12 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is West a boy’s or a girl’s name?
West has been given almost only to boys: 28 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named West: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named West, and how old are they?
2,530 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 68% of the 3,720 Americans ever recorded as West. The median West alive today is 14 years old; half are between 6 and 35.
The 2020 Census counted 2,276 people named West (146 women and girls, 2,130 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 1,930 born in the U.S. The Census count is 18% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census records the name people give, which for many is the short form West rather than the name on their birth record, and it counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 56 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 201 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 212 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 260 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 539 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,260 |
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 West born?
The states with the most babies named West are California, Texas and Washington, with 52% of its births recorded by state in 2025; Washington is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 27 | #881 | 1.3× |
| Texas | 20 | #1,129 | 0.6× |
| Washington | 7 | #892 | 0.3× |
| Tennessee | 7 | #920 | 0.1× |
| Georgia | 6 | #1,344 | 0.5× |
| New York | 6 | #1,746 | 0.1× |
| Utah | 5 | #806 | 0.8× |
| North Carolina | 5 | #1,459 | 0.3× |
| Arizona | 5 | #1,028 | 0.3× |
| Oregon | 5 | #700 | 0.3× |
Where West is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, West is most over-represented in California: since 1910 it was given 1.3 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 West with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as West
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 West and names like it
- Compare West and AbnerBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sWest peaked in 2025.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named West since 1910.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named West.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named West alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with WMost given first.