Total births
181
Boys' name · since 1916
Wetzel
181 babies named Wetzel in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 1928. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 181
- total births
- 1916–1965
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 29%
- born in that decade
181 boys have been named Wetzel since 1916, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Wetzel recorded 181 times among boys since 1916, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 1965.
- 181 total births
- 1916–1965 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 29% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
181 boys have been named Wetzel since 1916, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1965.
- 181
- total births
- 1916–1965
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 29%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Wetzel was born in this single decade.
1928
Single peak year
11 babies were named Wetzel in 1928 - its busiest year on record.
Wetzel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wetzel splits its recorded history at 1941: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1928 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wetzel at a glance
Last recorded 1965Peak year
1928
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1916
Wetzel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1965
- Peak year (1928)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Wetzel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Wetzel's strongest decade.
52 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Wetzel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s
1920s
52 births
- 1930s
1930s
33 births
- 1940s
1940s
32 births
- 1950s
1950s
32 births
- 1960s
1960s
26 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 52 births (29% of all-time use).
Wetzel by state
Where Wetzel concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | | 56 | 30.9% |
West Virginia share of Wetzel's total US births 30.9%
56 of 181 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wetzel? ▼
Wetzel has been given to 181 babies in the U.S. since 1916, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1965. 11 babies were born in 1928, its single highest year.
When was Wetzel most popular? ▼
Wetzel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 52 total births. The single peak year was 1928.
Where is Wetzel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wetzel are West Virginia (56 births).
How long has the name Wetzel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Wetzel since 1916 -- 50 years through the most recent 1965 data.
What to do with Wetzel's data
- Wetzel's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (52 total births) through the 1960s (26) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- West Virginia records the most Wetzels (56 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. West Virginia 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 Wetzel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1916–1965 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wetzel: Baby Name Since 1916 - 181 Births, Peak 1928." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wetzel. 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 Wetzel 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.