Wesley

#1,911 for girls in 2025, 101 births · #52 for boys in 2025, 5,578 births
Given to boys 98.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2025 · 5,578 births
Debut · boys
123 births
In top 100 · boys
18 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
247,713
since 1880

Wesley over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201971boysat peak
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,911101#525,578
2024#2,17887#585,162
2023#1,780114#694,555
2022#1,638129#704,668
2021#1,577133#854,216
2020#1,96596#983,706
2019#2,65165#993,764
2018#2,21783#1053,628
2017#2,77961#1113,577
2016#2,69764#1173,429
2015#3,53344#1263,233
2014#3,48645#1303,143
2013#5,01327#1392,837
2012#4,95728#1552,649
2011#4,35333#1562,476
2010#5,97722#1592,431
2009#5,09728#1762,211
2008#7,40817#1932,067
2007#4,38034#1952,064
2006#5,23326#1902,103
2005#7,13816#1892,113
2004#3,89836#1842,108
2003#4,30730#1842,123
2002#6,12918#1832,051
2001#5,82219#1842,028
2000#6,20817#1712,216
1999#3,89530#1682,207
1998#4,63623#1522,242
1997#3,71630#1442,358
1996#2,84942#1372,616
1995#2,78843#1292,798
1994#3,37233#1183,031
1993#2,28956#1133,172
1992#2,38654#1113,239
1991#2,79042#1063,267
1990#2,57146#1073,316
1989#2,14757#983,457
1988#2,03258#923,478
1987#2,09852#923,244
1986#2,00354#963,043
1985#2,17248#943,043
1984#2,01850#1012,799
1983#2,36040#1012,788
1982#2,11548#983,031
1981#2,77432#993,040
1980#2,27843#953,165
1979#2,38739#893,237
1978#2,51634#833,306
1977#2,71530#664,302
1976#3,09523#1192,147
1975#3,15522#1581,531
1974#3,00823#1651,467
1973#3,48118#1581,554
1972#2,90323#1541,690
1971#3,16621#1511,959
1970#3,11021#1522,059
1969#3,19918#1571,861
1968#3,05718#1651,642
1967#3,34015#1671,587
1966#4,19810#1571,803
1965#4,20210#1601,860
1964#3,37915#1621,969
1963#2,86419#1572,100
1962#2,66821#1621,963
1961#3,46014#1632,002
1960#4,18410#1642,020
1959#2,98016#1602,000
1958#4,1939#1601,954
1957#2,65119#1601,993
1956#3,32113#1572,004
1955#3,77810#1511,925
1954#3,15713#1551,844
1953#2,51618#1591,733
1952#3,20112#1651,594
1951#2,57716#1711,500
1950#4,3157#1651,527
1949#2,51416#1661,406
1948#2,25519#1691,336
1947#3,06112#1631,459
1946#2,59714#1671,248
1945#2,59812#1621,107
1944#3,3788#1591,169
1943#2,25116#1551,267
1942#1,98119#1551,253
1941#2,01817#1581,091
1940#2,02916#1521,129
1939#2,9229#1461,113
1938#3,8476#1501,074
1937#2,10115#1461,065
1936#2,38612#1451,061
1935#2,30513#1481,040
1934#2,18714#1421,118
1933#3,4067#1471,030
1932#2,49012#1441,135
1931#2,10515#1431,115
1930#2,20215#1421,186
1929#2,92110#1431,182
1928#2,19416#1431,181
1927#3,5618#1341,324
1926#3,04610#1311,320
1925#2,77812#1351,265
1924#3,14410#1311,347
1923#2,73212#1251,379
1922#3,15210#1271,287
1921#3,4009#1271,332
1920#2,73112#1291,244
1919#3,2199#1351,099
1918#2,10217#1371,145
1917#3,0929#1361,014
1916#3,5527#1351,026
1915#3,1348#133990
1914#2,8767#131789
1913#2,1649#133585
1912#2,6346#134485
1911#2,4635#131261
1910#1,9357#152209
1909—#136197
1908—#135185
1907—#125191
1906—#135155
1905—#123174
1904—#127166
1903—#126153
1902—#133145
1901—#115146
1900—#127181
1899—#134119
1898—#123151
1897—#134121
1896—#120145
1895—#112156
1894—#113149
1893—#119136
1892—#120142
1891—#120115
1890#1,3385#117131
1889—#144101
1888—#113147
1887—#116115
1886—#120121
1885—#128108
1884—#121120
1883—#122104
1882—#101145
1881—#117102
1880—#109123
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Wesley was already there! It came in at #109, and was given to 123 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1894, when fewer than 150 boys a year got the name.

Where Wesley is popular in 1971

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #135 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 637 boysAKMaine: #129 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 892 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Wesley, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Wesley, so not publishedNHWashington: #132 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 768 boysWAIdaho: #121 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 535 boysIDMontana: #117 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 572 boysMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Wesley, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #193 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,856 boysMNIllinois: #157 for boys · 95 births · 1 in 958 boysILWisconsin: #157 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 1,357 boysWIMichigan: #176 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 1,234 boysMINew York: #258 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 2,247 boysNYMassachusetts: #231 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 3,043 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Wesley, so not publishedRIOregon: #131 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 711 boysORNevada: #106 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 467 boysNVWyoming: #55 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 212 boysWYSouth Dakota: #154 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 810 boysSDIowa: #155 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,132 boysIAIndiana: #120 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 739 boysINOhio: #162 for boys · 77 births · 1 in 1,197 boysOHPennsylvania: #159 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 1,381 boysPANew Jersey: #280 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 2,868 boysNJConnecticut: #172 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,473 boysCTCalifornia: #196 for boys · 142 births · 1 in 1,138 boysCAUtah: #148 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 894 boysUTColorado: #142 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 761 boysCONebraska: #123 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 675 boysNEMissouri: #109 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 637 boysMOKentucky: #94 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 520 boysKYWest Virginia: #120 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 760 boysWVVirginia: #94 for boys · 71 births · 1 in 517 boysVAMaryland: #136 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 803 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Wesley, so not publishedDEArizona: #192 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,026 boysAZNew Mexico: #120 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 481 boysNMKansas: #118 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 607 boysKSArkansas: #85 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 362 boysARTennessee: #103 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 540 boysTNNorth Carolina: #116 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 610 boysNCSouth Carolina: #120 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 571 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #203 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,198 boysDCOklahoma: #83 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 343 boysOKLouisiana: #172 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 848 boysLAMississippi: #121 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 576 boysMSAlabama: #107 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 495 boysALGeorgia: #100 for boys · 93 births · 1 in 471 boysGAHawaii: #92 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 389 boysHITexas: #128 for boys · 201 births · 1 in 567 boysTXFlorida: #147 for boys · 68 births · 1 in 791 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Wyoming#55 · 1 in 212
  2. Oklahoma#83 · 1 in 343
  3. Arkansas#85 · 1 in 362
  4. Hawaii#92 · 1 in 389
  5. Virginia#94 · 1 in 517

Best ever in a state: #6 in Vermont, 2021.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Wyoming#55111 in 212
Oklahoma#83591 in 343
Arkansas#85441 in 362
Hawaii#92161 in 389
Kentucky#94561 in 520
Virginia#94711 in 517
Georgia#100931 in 471
Tennessee#103641 in 540
Nevada#10681 in 467
Alabama#107611 in 495
Missouri#109601 in 637
North Carolina#116731 in 610
Montana#11791 in 572
Kansas#118261 in 607
Indiana#120621 in 739
New Mexico#120201 in 481
South Carolina#120411 in 571
West Virginia#120191 in 760
Idaho#121111 in 535
Mississippi#121371 in 576
Nebraska#123171 in 675
Texas#1282011 in 567
Maine#12991 in 892
Oregon#131221 in 711
Washington#132331 in 768
Alaska#13551 in 637
Maryland#136331 in 803
Colorado#142251 in 761
Florida#147681 in 791
Utah#148141 in 894
South Dakota#15461 in 810
Iowa#155191 in 1,132
Illinois#157951 in 958
Wisconsin#157251 in 1,357
Pennsylvania#159641 in 1,381
Ohio#162771 in 1,197
Connecticut#172141 in 1,473
Louisiana#172391 in 848
Michigan#176621 in 1,234
Arizona#192171 in 1,026
Minnesota#193161 in 1,856
California#1961421 in 1,138
District of Columbia#20391 in 1,198
Massachusetts#231141 in 3,043
New York#258611 in 2,247
New Jersey#280181 in 2,868
Delaware———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Wesley
Momentum · boys
Rising
  • 6 spots since 2024 (#58 → #52)
  • 46 spots since 2020 (#98 → #52)
  • 74 spots since 2015 (#126 → #52)
  • Biggest jump: 53 spots in 1977 (#119 → #66)
  • Biggest drop: 31 spots in 1889 (#113 → #144)
Rise & fade · boys
145 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 2025 at #52 (5,578 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 18 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 18 yrs · run 2019–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 306
  • Highest: 1 in 306 boys born in 2025 were named Wesley (0.33%)
Era · boys
The 2010s
  • 12.6% of all boys named Wesley (31,167) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,186#101 (1882)#119
1890s1,365#112 (1895)#121
1900s1,693#115 (1901)#128
1910s7,603#131 (1914)#136
1920s12,861#125 (1923)#133
1930s10,937#142 (1930)#145
1940s12,465#152 (1940)#161
1950s18,074#151 (1955)#160
1960s18,807#157 (1963)#161
1970s23,252#66 (1977)#130
1980s31,088#92 (1988)#97
1990s28,246#106 (1991)#129
2000s21,084#171 (2000)#185
2010s31,167#99 (2019)#130
2020s27,885#52 (2025)#72

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Wesley in 1971

girls
#3,166
21 births · 1 in 79,230 girls
boys
#151
1,959 births · 1 in 903 boys

Top girls' names in 1971

  1. #1Jennifer56,771
  2. #2Michelle33,160
  3. #3Lisa32,907
  4. #4Kimberly30,708
  5. #5Amy26,237
  6. #6Angela25,901
  7. #7Melissa23,875
  8. #8Tammy17,656
  9. #9Mary16,703
  10. #10Julie15,322
  11. #3,166Wesley21

Top boys' names in 1971

  1. #1Michael77,577
  2. #2James54,597
  3. #3David53,113
  4. #4John51,512
  5. #5Robert50,634
  6. #6Christopher48,225
  7. #7William35,413
  8. #8Jason34,173
  9. #9Brian32,624
  10. #10Scott30,901
  11. #151Wesley1,959
More about 1971

girls

1,663,823 girls got a published name in 1971; 1 in 79,230 of them was named Wesley, which outranked 67.2% of the 9,645 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Wesley
  1. #3,062Yessenia22
  2. #3,062Zanetta22
  3. #3,062Zoila22
  4. #3,166Wesley21
  5. #3,166Abbe21
  6. #3,166Amberly21
  7. #3,166Anjali21
  8. #3,266Alexander20
  9. #3,266Alondra20
  10. #3,266Andi20

Tied with 99 names at #3,166; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1970
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,115Yesenia#2,522 → #407
  2. ↑ 1,431Shayla#2,267 → #836
  3. ↑ 853Ebony#1,681 → #828
  4. ↑ 749Consuela#1,706 → #957
  5. ↑ 510Candida#1,196 → #686
Fallers
  1. ↓ 572Sebrina#916 → #1,488
  2. ↓ 382Janene#684 → #1,066
  3. ↓ 375Treena#989 → #1,364
  4. ↓ 356Tisa#910 → #1,266
  5. ↓ 351Shaun#929 → #1,280

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,768,447 boys got a published name in 1971; 1 in 903 of them was named Wesley, which outranked 97.3% of the 5,655 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Wesley
  1. #148Tommy1,994
  2. #149Ralph1,991
  3. #150Cory1,985
  4. #151Wesley1,959
  5. #152Marvin1,931
  6. #153Mike1,923
  7. #154Mario1,904
Biggest movers since 1970
Risers
  1. ↑ 754Germaine#1,582 → #828
  2. ↑ 626Jeramie#1,546 → #920
  3. ↑ 512Jeremey#1,396 → #884
  4. ↑ 473Jarod#1,337 → #864
  5. ↑ 454Jamel#1,374 → #920
Fallers
  1. ↓ 328Adolph#926 → #1,254
  2. ↓ 272Dwane#1,000 → #1,272
  3. ↓ 266Bronson#861 → #1,127
  4. ↓ 244Mitch#921 → #1,165
  5. ↓ 242Enrico#839 → #1,081

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1971 →