Total births
18,400
Boys' name · since 1880
Wiley
Wiley has 18,400 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1156
- among boys today
- 18,400
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
18,400 babies have been named Wiley since 1880, making it today's #1156 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wiley has been recorded 18,400 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1156 nationally and more common than 92% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1156 among boys today
- 18,400 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wiley is currently the #1156 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 18,400 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1156
- among boys today
- 18,400
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Wiley vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1156
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Wiley was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
304 babies were named Wiley in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Wiley compares
18,400 Top 6% higher than 94% of 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
Wiley's all-time total is 50x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wiley | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,400 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 304 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wiley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Wiley's full recorded timeline at 1953, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1983, with just 38 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 304 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Wiley at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#1,156
Active since
1880
Wiley popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 304
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wiley popularity over time - girls
394 total births recorded since 1921 (Wiley as girls' name)
Wiley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Wiley's strongest decade.
2,621 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Wiley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 726
1880s
726 births
- 1890s 576
1890s
576 births
- 1900s 590
1900s
590 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,676 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,621 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,320 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,179 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,735 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,147 births
- 1970s 700
1970s
700 births
- 1980s 528
1980s
528 births
- 1990s 534
1990s
534 births
- 2000s 795
2000s
795 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,199 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,074 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,621 births (14% of all-time use).
How Wiley 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 Wiley's total volume
Wiley vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wiley by state
Where Wiley concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 1,669 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,477 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 1,339 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 1,081 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 848 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 837 | 4.5% |
| #7 | California | | 634 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 621 | 3.4% |
North Carolina share of Wiley's total US births 9.1%
Even split
1,669 of 18,400 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Wiley appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wiley? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 18,400 babies named Wiley. Today it holds rank #1156 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 304 births.
When was Wiley most popular? ▼
Wiley was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,621 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Wiley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wiley are North Carolina (1,669 births), Texas (1,477 births), Georgia (1,339 births).
How long has the name Wiley been used? ▼
Records for Wiley go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Wiley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willie, Willard, Wilbur, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wiley's data
- Wiley's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (2,621 total births) through the 2020s (1,074) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Wileys (1,669 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Wiley
Nearby Names Like Wiley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wiley
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willie Boy
#1364 450,188 births
Willard Boy
#2958 77,658 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Compare Wiley side by side: Wiley vs William Wiley vs Willie Wiley vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wiley
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wiley: #1156 Boys' Name - 18,400 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wiley. 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 Wiley 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.