Boys' name · since 1880
Wheeler
Wheeler has 1,916 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2024 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3,395 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,452 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,916
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Wheeler currently ranks #3452 among boys' names in America, with 1,916 babies recorded since 1880.
Wheeler has 1,916 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3452 as of the latest data, more common than 75% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3,395 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,452 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,916 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wheeler ranks #3,395 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,452 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,916 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3,395 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,452 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,916
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Wheeler's 1,916 recorded births place it above 92.53% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
7 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Alabama.
How Wheeler compares
1,916 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Wheeler's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wheeler | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,916 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 45 | 34 | 22,252 |
Wheeler's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wheeler splits its recorded history at 1950: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1887 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 45 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wheeler popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 45
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wheeler popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1918 (Wheeler as girls' name)
Wheeler by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (287 births, 15% of the file).
1920s was Wheeler's strongest decade.
287 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Wheeler births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 73
1880s
73 births
- 1890s 59
1890s
59 births
- 1900s 75
1900s
75 births
- 1910s
1910s
219 births
- 1920s
1920s
287 births
- 1930s
1930s
171 births
- 1940s
1940s
168 births
- 1950s
1950s
133 births
- 1960s 57
1960s
57 births
- 1970s 47
1970s
47 births
- 1980s 30
1980s
30 births
- 1990s 73
1990s
73 births
- 2000s 104
2000s
104 births
- 2010s
2010s
220 births
- 2020s
2020s
200 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 287 births (15% of all-time use).
How Wheeler 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 Wheeler's total volume
Wheeler by state
Where Wheeler concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 50 | 2.6% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 26 | 1.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 16 | 0.8% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #6 | South Carolina | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 5 | 0.3% |
50 of 1,916 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wheeler? ▼
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When was Wheeler most popular? ▼
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What to do with Wheeler's data
- Wheeler's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (287 total births) through the 2020s (200) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Alabama records the most Wheelers (50 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wheeler
Nearby Names Like Wheeler
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wheeler
Compare Wheeler side by side: Wheeler vs Whelan Wheeler vs Whelen Wheeler vs Wheaton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wheeler
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wheeler: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Wheeler 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.