Boys' name · since 1914
Wister
85 babies named Wister in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 1923. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #18,517 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 85
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
85 boys have been named Wister since 1914, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Wister has 85 recorded births among boys since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 1957.
- #18,517 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 85 born since 1914
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wister ranks #18,517 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 85 born since 1914, peaking in the 1920s.
- #18,517 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 85
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
Wister's 85 recorded births place it above 59.28% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by South Carolina.
Wister's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wister splits its recorded history at 1927: 47% of all births land in the more recent half, 53% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1914 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1923 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wister popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–1957
- Peak year (1923)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
Wister by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (34 births, 40% of the file).
1920s was Wister's strongest decade.
34 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Wister births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
25 births
- 1920s
1920s
34 births
- 1930s 10
1930s
10 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 34 births (40% of all-time use).
Wister by state
Where Wister concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | South Carolina | | 5 | 5.9% |
5 of 85 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wister? ▼
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What to do with Wister's data
- Wister's decade-level peak was the 1920s (34 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- South Carolina records the most Wisters (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. South Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wister
Nearby Names Like Wister
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wister
Compare Wister side by side: Wister vs Wisdom Wister vs Wisam Wister vs Wissam
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wister: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1923)
Similar record span (~43 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, 1914–1957 (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 Wister 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.