Wesley
Girl name · #1913 in 2025 · Very rare
Wesley is currently the #1913 girl name in the United States — 101 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3533, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,822 girls born in 2025 was named Wesley.
Babies named Wesley per year. Source: SSA.
The 135-year story
Wesley first appears in the Social Security records in 1890, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2021, when 133 girls were named Wesley — good for #1577 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Wesley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Wesley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Wesley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Wesley will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Wesley is most common
State-level data for Wesley 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 Wesley
Statistically, parents drawn to Wesley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ridley, Bradley, Blakley, Linley, and Conley.
RidleyBradleyBlakleyLinleyConleyHaizleyKingsleyHuntley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Wesley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 101 | #1911 |
| 2024 | 87 | #2178 |
| 2023 | 114 | #1780 |
| 2022 | 129 | #1638 |
| 2021 | 133 | #1577 |
| 2020 | 96 | #1965 |
| 2019 | 65 | #2651 |
| 2018 | 83 | #2217 |
| 2017 | 61 | #2779 |
| 2016 | 64 | #2697 |
| 2015 | 44 | #3533 |
| 2014 | 45 | #3486 |
| 2013 | 27 | #5013 |
| 2012 | 28 | #4957 |
| 2011 | 33 | #4353 |
| 2010 | 22 | #5977 |
| 2009 | 28 | #5097 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7408 |
| 2007 | 34 | #4380 |
| 2006 | 26 | #5233 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7138 |
| 2004 | 36 | #3898 |
| 2003 | 30 | #4307 |
| 2002 | 18 | #6129 |
| 2001 | 19 | #5822 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Wesley a popular girl name?
Wesley ranked #1913 among girls in 2025 with 101 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3533.
When was the name Wesley most popular?
Wesley peaked in 2021, when 133 American girls received the name (ranked #1577 that year). Since 2021 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Wesley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,822 newborn American girls was named Wesley. 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.