Wayne
Boy name · #653 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 422 baby boys were named Wayne, placing it at #653 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #744, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,265 boys born in 2025 was named Wayne.
Babies named Wayne per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Wayne first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 23 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 10,169 boys were named Wayne — good for #30 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Wayne against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Wayne in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Wayne is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Wayne will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Wayne is most common
Geography matters for names, and Wayne is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Wayne is most common in OR (0.8 per 1,000), MI (0.6 per 1,000), UT (0.5 per 1,000), IN (0.5 per 1,000), MN (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Wayne is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Wayne
Statistically, parents drawn to Wayne tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dwayne, Willie, Eddie, Bruce, and Ronnie.
DwayneWillieEddieBruceRonnieTommyRonaldLee
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Wayne | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 422 | #652 |
| 2024 | 396 | #686 |
| 2023 | 359 | #733 |
| 2022 | 329 | #768 |
| 2021 | 318 | #778 |
| 2020 | 305 | #774 |
| 2019 | 322 | #745 |
| 2018 | 299 | #776 |
| 2017 | 281 | #809 |
| 2016 | 330 | #739 |
| 2015 | 325 | #744 |
| 2014 | 292 | #789 |
| 2013 | 301 | #756 |
| 2012 | 291 | #778 |
| 2011 | 327 | #702 |
| 2010 | 284 | #780 |
| 2009 | 304 | #752 |
| 2008 | 344 | #691 |
| 2007 | 354 | #675 |
| 2006 | 358 | #647 |
| 2005 | 319 | #667 |
| 2004 | 364 | #597 |
| 2003 | 382 | #577 |
| 2002 | 420 | #533 |
| 2001 | 421 | #527 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Wayne a popular boy name?
Wayne ranked #653 among boys in 2025 with 422 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #744.
When was the name Wayne most popular?
Wayne peaked in 1947, when 10,169 American boys received the name (ranked #30 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Wayne?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,265 newborn American boys was named Wayne. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "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.