Total births
48,807
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.
- #644
- among boys today
- 48,807
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
48,807 babies have been named Wilson since 1880, making it today's #644 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Wilson recorded 48,807 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #644 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.
- #644 among boys today
- 48,807 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wilson is currently the #644 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 48,807 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #644
- among boys today
- 48,807
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Wilson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#644
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1910s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Wilson was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
1,381 babies were named Wilson in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Wilson compares
48,807 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Wilson's all-time total is 133x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 48,807 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,381 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#644
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
New York share of Wilson's total US births 8.9%
Even split
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? ▼
48,807 babies have been named Wilson since 1880. It currently ranks #644 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 1,381 births.
When was Wilson most popular? ▼
Wilson was most popular in the 1910s decade with 6,835 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Wilson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wilson are New York (4,344 births), California (3,178 births), Texas (2,852 births).
How long has the name Wilson been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Wilson since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Wilson? ▼
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 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
- 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 Wilson
Nearby Names Like Wilson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilson
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 Wilson side by side: Wilson vs William Wilson vs Willie Wilson vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilson
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. "Wilson: #644 Boys' Name - 48,807 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wilson. 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 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 June 2026.