Wiley
Wiley is given to both girls and boys: 23 girls and 165 boys were given it in 2025 (#5,544 among girls’ names and #1,226 among boys’, #2,308 among all names counting both); 18,794 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 8,320 Americans named Wiley and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (44% of everyone recorded); the median is 42 years old and half are between 13 and 69.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Wiley by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Wiley mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Wiley is “a male given name.”
/ˈwaɪli/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Wiley?
#1,226 among boys’ names, 2025
Wiley rose from #1,316 in 2015 to #1,226 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 70.4 to 96.6 per million.
309 babies in 1921, the peak
Wiley peaked in 1921, when 309 babies were given it (304 boys, #340 among boys’ names). The 188 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 61% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165 | #1,226 | 0.10 |
| 2024 | 181 | #1,159 | 0.11 |
| 2023 | 186 | #1,136 | 0.11 |
| 2022 | 179 | #1,155 | 0.10 |
| 2021 | 197 | #1,080 | 0.11 |
| 2020 | 166 | #1,165 | 0.10 |
| 2019 | 157 | #1,217 | 0.09 |
| 2018 | 121 | #1,450 | 0.07 |
| 2017 | 122 | #1,428 | 0.07 |
| 2016 | 126 | #1,397 | 0.07 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 135 | #1,316 | 0.07 |
| 2014 | 120 | #1,412 | 0.06 |
| 2013 | 117 | #1,426 | 0.06 |
| 2012 | 111 | #1,465 | 0.06 |
| 2011 | 87 | #1,716 | 0.05 |
| 2010 | 103 | #1,557 | 0.05 |
| 2009 | 99 | #1,616 | 0.05 |
| 2008 | 98 | #1,611 | 0.05 |
| 2007 | 77 | #1,874 | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 101 | #1,511 | 0.05 |
| 2005 | 87 | #1,592 | 0.04 |
| 2004 | 75 | #1,713 | 0.04 |
| 2003 | 77 | #1,642 | 0.04 |
| 2002 | 66 | #1,765 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 61 | #1,835 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 54 | #1,939 | 0.03 |
| 1999 | 48 | #2,018 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 57 | #1,786 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 54 | #1,786 | 0.03 |
| 1996 | 56 | #1,701 | 0.03 |
| 1995 | 45 | #1,907 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 45 | #1,887 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 52 | #1,692 | 0.03 |
| 1992 | 51 | #1,691 | 0.03 |
| 1991 | 66 | #1,404 | 0.03 |
| 1990 | 60 | #1,458 | 0.03 |
| 1989 | 56 | #1,486 | 0.03 |
| 1988 | 54 | #1,445 | 0.03 |
| 1987 | 41 | #1,680 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 43 | #1,562 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 63 | #1,188 | 0.03 |
| 1984 | 52 | #1,291 | 0.03 |
| 1983 | 38 | #1,589 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 64 | #1,149 | 0.04 |
| 1981 | 53 | #1,269 | 0.03 |
| 1980 | 64 | #1,144 | 0.04 |
| 1979 | 61 | #1,168 | 0.04 |
| 1978 | 56 | #1,201 | 0.03 |
| 1977 | 64 | #1,092 | 0.04 |
| 1976 | 66 | #1,029 | 0.04 |
| 1975 | 49 | #1,227 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 68 | #1,002 | 0.04 |
| 1973 | 68 | #986 | 0.04 |
| 1972 | 78 | #910 | 0.05 |
| 1971 | 95 | #837 | 0.05 |
| 1970 | 95 | #831 | 0.05 |
| 1969 | 92 | #808 | 0.05 |
| 1968 | 94 | #770 | 0.05 |
| 1967 | 116 | #691 | 0.07 |
| 1966 | 111 | #705 | 0.06 |
| 1965 | 125 | #664 | 0.07 |
| 1964 | 118 | #712 | 0.06 |
| 1963 | 125 | #694 | 0.06 |
| 1962 | 111 | #728 | 0.05 |
| 1961 | 119 | #702 | 0.06 |
| 1960 | 136 | #670 | 0.06 |
| 1959 | 158 | #616 | 0.07 |
| 1958 | 128 | #673 | 0.06 |
| 1957 | 168 | #593 | 0.08 |
| 1956 | 180 | #565 | 0.09 |
| 1955 | 171 | #565 | 0.08 |
| 1954 | 166 | #575 | 0.08 |
| 1953 | 191 | #508 | 0.10 |
| 1952 | 191 | #505 | 0.10 |
| 1951 | 176 | #514 | 0.09 |
| 1950 | 206 | #464 | 0.12 |
| 1949 | 205 | #461 | 0.12 |
| 1948 | 260 | #417 | 0.15 |
| 1947 | 229 | #443 | 0.13 |
| 1946 | 186 | #472 | 0.11 |
| 1945 | 193 | #429 | 0.14 |
| 1944 | 240 | #391 | 0.18 |
| 1943 | 225 | #412 | 0.16 |
| 1942 | 206 | #426 | 0.15 |
| 1941 | 222 | #387 | 0.18 |
| 1940 | 213 | #392 | 0.18 |
| 1939 | 208 | #392 | 0.19 |
| 1938 | 235 | #366 | 0.21 |
| 1937 | 223 | #363 | 0.21 |
| 1936 | 256 | #341 | 0.25 |
| 1935 | 286 | #324 | 0.27 |
| 1934 | 224 | #366 | 0.22 |
| 1933 | 216 | #369 | 0.22 |
| 1932 | 233 | #364 | 0.22 |
| 1931 | 227 | #372 | 0.22 |
| 1930 | 212 | #396 | 0.19 |
| 1929 | 230 | #382 | 0.21 |
| 1928 | 263 | #354 | 0.24 |
| 1927 | 253 | #368 | 0.22 |
| 1926 | 258 | #365 | 0.23 |
| 1925 | 245 | #381 | 0.22 |
| 1924 | 238 | #393 | 0.21 |
| 1923 | 290 | #346 | 0.26 |
| 1922 | 277 | #354 | 0.25 |
| 1921 | 304 | #340 | 0.28 |
| 1920 | 263 | #370 | 0.25 |
| 1919 | 234 | #380 | 0.24 |
| 1918 | 240 | #386 | 0.24 |
| 1917 | 255 | #351 | 0.28 |
| 1916 | 177 | #424 | 0.20 |
| 1915 | 212 | #369 | 0.25 |
| 1914 | 143 | #400 | 0.22 |
| 1913 | 156 | #326 | 0.30 |
| 1912 | 112 | #368 | 0.26 |
| 1911 | 74 | #320 | 0.33 |
| 1910 | 73 | #288 | 0.38 |
| 1909 | 68 | #274 | 0.41 |
| 1908 | 71 | #252 | 0.46 |
| 1907 | 58 | #276 | 0.40 |
| 1906 | 46 | #303 | 0.35 |
| 1905 | 52 | #276 | 0.39 |
| 1904 | 61 | #241 | 0.48 |
| 1903 | 52 | #255 | 0.44 |
| 1902 | 57 | #247 | 0.46 |
| 1901 | 64 | #214 | 0.60 |
| 1900 | 61 | #265 | 0.41 |
| 1899 | 50 | #237 | 0.47 |
| 1898 | 51 | #248 | 0.42 |
| 1897 | 59 | #221 | 0.52 |
| 1896 | 62 | #232 | 0.52 |
| 1895 | 61 | #226 | 0.52 |
| 1894 | 63 | #214 | 0.54 |
| 1893 | 50 | #251 | 0.45 |
| 1892 | 69 | #212 | 0.57 |
| 1891 | 51 | #226 | 0.50 |
| 1890 | 60 | #215 | 0.54 |
| 1889 | 73 | #185 | 0.66 |
| 1888 | 64 | #220 | 0.53 |
| 1887 | 66 | #189 | 0.65 |
| 1886 | 49 | #247 | 0.44 |
| 1885 | 76 | #175 | 0.71 |
| 1884 | 80 | #178 | 0.70 |
| 1883 | 72 | #173 | 0.69 |
| 1882 | 92 | #150 | 0.81 |
| 1881 | 76 | #162 | 0.75 |
| 1880 | 78 | #170 | 0.71 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Wiley a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 18,794 Americans recorded as Wiley, 2% are girls and 98% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Wiley: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Wiley, and how old are they?
8,320 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 44% of the 18,794 Americans ever recorded as Wiley. The median Wiley alive today is 42 years old; half are between 13 and 69.
The 2020 Census counted 7,351 people named Wiley (291 women and girls, 7,060 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 8,215 born in the U.S. The Census count is 11% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 782 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 2,080 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,140 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 802 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,300 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 2,210 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Wiley born?
The states with the most babies named Wiley are North Carolina, Texas and Georgia, with 38% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 1,669 | #644 | 3.1× |
| Texas | 1,477 | #2,069 | 1.3× |
| Georgia | 1,339 | #1,212 | 2.6× |
| Alabama | 1,081 | #762 | 2.8× |
| Mississippi | 848 | not ranked | 3.0× |
| Tennessee | 837 | #636 | 2.0× |
| California | 644 | #1,980 | 0.5× |
| Virginia | 621 | #1,242 | 1.5× |
| Florida | 536 | #1,465 | 1.2× |
| Louisiana | 528 | not ranked | 1.6× |
Where Wiley is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Wiley is most over-represented in North Carolina: since 1910 it was given 3.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Wiley with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 24,659 babies since 1880, Wiley is the most given (76% of them). In 2025 it was given to 188 of their 262 babies (72%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Wiley
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Wiley and names like it
- Compare Wiley and WillyBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sWiley peaked in 1921.
- North Carolina’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Wiley since 1910.
- The top names of 1921The year the most babies were named Wiley.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Wiley alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with WMost given first.