Boys' name · since 1880
Wilson
Wilson has 48,807 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #520 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #672 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 48,807
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
48,807 babies have been named Wilson since 1880, making it today's #672 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Wilson recorded 48,807 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #672 nationally today, ahead of 95% of boys, peaking in the 1910s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #520 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #672 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 48,807 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wilson ranks #520 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #672 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 48,807 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #520 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #672 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 48,807
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Wilson's 48,807 recorded births place it above 98.85% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
49 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Wilson compares
48,807 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Wilson's all-time total is 132x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilson | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 48,807 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,381 | 34 | 22,252 |
Wilson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wilson splits its recorded history at 1953: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1894 (43 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 1,381 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wilson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,381
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wilson popularity over time - girls
210 total births recorded since 1913 (Wilson as girls' name)
Wilson by decade
1910s is the heaviest window (6,835 births, 14% of the file).
1910s was Wilson's strongest decade.
6,835 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Wilson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 660
1880s
660 births
- 1890s 597
1890s
597 births
- 1900s 759
1900s
759 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,835 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,022 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,696 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,359 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,383 births
- 1960s 2,660
1960s
2,660 births
- 1970s 2,308
1970s
2,308 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,862 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,144 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,884 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,238 births
- 2020s 2,400
2020s
2,400 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 6,835 births (14% of all-time use).
How Wilson 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 Wilson's total volume
Wilson by state
Where Wilson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 4,344 | 8.9% |
| #2 | California | | 3,178 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 2,852 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 2,585 | 5.3% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 2,292 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 2,244 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 2,040 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 1,935 | 4.0% |
4,344 of 48,807 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Wilson appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wilson? ▼
Where does Wilson sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Wilson most popular? ▼
Where is Wilson most popular? ▼
How long has the name Wilson been used? ▼
What names are similar to Wilson? ▼
What to do with Wilson's data
- Wilson's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (6,835 total births) through the 2020s (2,400) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Wilsons (4,344 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wilson
Nearby Names Like Wilson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilson
Compare Wilson side by side: Wilson vs William Wilson vs Willie Wilson vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilson
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wilson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
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 Wilson 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.