Total births
83
Boys' name · since 2011
Whelan
Whelan has 83 recorded births since 2011 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2022 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8181
- among boys today
- 83
- born since 2011
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 43%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Whelan is the #8181 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 83 recorded since 2011.
Whelan has 83 recorded births among boys since 2011, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8181 as of the latest data, more common than 43% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2011 to 2025.
- #8181 among boys today
- 83 born since 2011
- 2020s peak decade
- 43% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Whelan is currently the #8181 boys' name in America, more common than 43% of boys - 83 born since 2011, peaking in the 2020s.
- #8181
- among boys today
- 83
- born since 2011
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 43%
- more common than other boys
Whelan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8181
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 43% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
55% of everyone ever named Whelan was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
15 babies were named Whelan in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Whelan compares
83 23th percentile among 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
Whelan's all-time total is 77% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Whelan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 83 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 15 | 23 | 22,252 |
Whelan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Whelan's SSA record in two at 2019 and the more recent half accounts for 63% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 37%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 2011, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2022 peak of 15, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Whelan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2022
Current rank
#8,181
Active since
2011
Whelan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2011–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 15 years of records
Whelan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Whelan's strongest decade.
46 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 55% of all-time use.
Whelan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2010s
2010s
37 births
- 2020s
2020s
46 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 46 births (55% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Whelan? ▼
Since 2011, Social Security records show 83 babies named Whelan. Today it holds rank #8181 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2022, with 15 births.
When was Whelan most popular? ▼
Whelan was most popular in the 2020s decade with 46 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
How long has the name Whelan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Whelan since 2011 -- 15 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Whelan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wheeler, Whelen, Wheaton. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
Keep exploring Whelan
Nearby Names Like Whelan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Whelan
Compare Whelan side by side: Whelan vs Wheeler Whelan vs Whelen Whelan vs Wheaton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Whelan
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, 2011–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Whelan: #8181 Boys' Name - 83 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/whelan. 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 Whelan 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.