Wali
Boy name · #2431 in 2025 · Very rare
Wali is currently the #2431 boy name in the United States — 56 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2966, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 32,143 boys born in 2025 was named Wali.
The 74-year story
Wali first appears in the Social Security records in 1951, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 65 boys were named Wali — good for #2134 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Wali per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Wali against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Wali in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Wali is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Wali will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Wali is most common
State-level data for Wali is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Wali
Statistically, parents drawn to Wali tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Naftali, Denali, Yuri, Neftali, and Wolf.
NaftaliDenaliYuriNeftaliWolfRafiBramMace
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Wali | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 | #2421 |
| 2024 | 36 | #3272 |
| 2023 | 37 | #3228 |
| 2022 | 45 | #2830 |
| 2021 | 39 | #3074 |
| 2020 | 52 | #2467 |
| 2019 | 51 | #2556 |
| 2018 | 49 | #2579 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2345 |
| 2016 | 65 | #2134 |
| 2015 | 39 | #2966 |
| 2014 | 24 | #4138 |
| 2013 | 18 | #4981 |
| 2012 | 17 | #5256 |
| 2011 | 17 | #5200 |
| 2010 | 15 | #5741 |
| 2009 | 13 | #6436 |
| 2008 | 20 | #4714 |
| 2007 | 15 | #5661 |
| 2006 | 23 | #4105 |
| 2005 | 18 | #4631 |
| 2004 | 13 | #5813 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4616 |
| 2002 | 16 | #4703 |
| 2001 | 16 | #4676 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Wali a popular boy name?
Wali ranked #2431 among boys in 2025 with 56 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2966.
When was the name Wali most popular?
Wali peaked in 2016, when 65 American boys received the name (ranked #2134 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Wali?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 32,143 newborn American boys was named Wali. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.