Total births
8,148
Unisex name · since 1984
Whitley
8,148 babies named Whitley in U.S. Social Security records since 1984, with the highest year being 1988. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #684
- among girls today
- 8,148
- born since 1984
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Whitley is the #684 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 8,148 recorded since 1984.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Whitley has been recorded 8,148 times among girls since 1984, currently ranked #684 nationally and more common than 96% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1984 to 2025.
- #684 among girls today
- 8,148 born since 1984
- 2020s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Whitley is currently the #684 unisex name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 8,148 born since 1984, peaking in the 2020s.
- #684
- among girls today
- 8,148
- born since 1984
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Whitley vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#684
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Whitley was born in this single decade.
1988
Single peak year
508 babies were named Whitley in 1988 - its busiest year on record.
How Whitley compares
8,148 Top 10% higher than 90% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Whitley's all-time total is 21x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Whitley | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,148 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 508 | 48 | 19,840 |
Whitley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Whitley's full recorded timeline at 2005, 57% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 43% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1984, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1988 peak of 508 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Whitley at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1988
Current rank
#684
Active since
1984
Whitley popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1984–2025
- Peak year (1988)
- 508
- Annual births at peak, across 42 years of records
Whitley popularity over time - boys
843 total births recorded since 1914 (Whitley as boys' name)
Whitley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Whitley's strongest decade.
2,127 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Whitley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
1,052 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,007 births
- 2000s
2000s
887 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,075 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,127 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 2,127 births (26% of all-time use).
How Whitley compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Whitley's total volume
Whitley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Whitley by state
Where Whitley concentrates geographically, total births since 1984
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 974 | 12.0% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 553 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 466 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 459 | 5.6% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 405 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 327 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 294 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 291 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Whitley's total US births 12.0%
Even split
974 of 8,148 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Whitley appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Whitley? ▼
8,148 babies have been named Whitley since 1984. It currently ranks #684 among girls. The peak year was 1988 with 508 births.
When was Whitley most popular? ▼
Whitley was most popular in the 2020s decade with 2,127 total births. The single peak year was 1988.
Where is Whitley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Whitley are Texas (974 births), Georgia (553 births), Kentucky (466 births).
Is Whitley a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Whitley is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 8,148 births, and as a boy's name it has 843 births.
How long has the name Whitley been used? ▼
Whitley has been recorded in Social Security data since 1984, spanning 42 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Whitley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Whitney, Whittney, Whitlee, Whisper, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Whitley's data
- Texas records the most Whitleys (974 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Whitley
Nearby Names Like Whitley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Whitley
Whitney Girl
#1050 97,663 births
Whittney Girl
1,633 births
Whitlee Girl
#3031 930 births
Whisper Girl
#13847 792 births
Whitnee Girl
607 births
Compare Whitley side by side: Whitley vs Whitney Whitley vs Whittney Whitley vs Whitlee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Whitley
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, 1984–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Whitley: #684 Unisex Name - 8,148 Births, Peak 1988." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/whitley. 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 Whitley 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.