West
Boy name · #1253 in 2025 · Uniqueness 37/100
West is currently the #1253 boy name in the United States — 159 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1910, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 11,321 boys born in 2025 was named West.
The 145-year story
West first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 13 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 159 babies and a rank of #1252. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 West per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare West against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another West in class?
West scores 37 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where West is most common
Geography matters for names, and West is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Wests were CA (27), TX (20), TN (7), WA (7), GA (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like West
Statistically, parents drawn to West tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Quest, Everest, Forest, Whit, and Wylie.
QuestEverestForestWhitWylieWynnRiotWesten
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named West | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 159 | #1252 |
| 2024 | 145 | #1324 |
| 2023 | 87 | #1832 |
| 2022 | 130 | #1414 |
| 2021 | 90 | #1770 |
| 2020 | 81 | #1833 |
| 2019 | 98 | #1652 |
| 2018 | 82 | #1838 |
| 2017 | 80 | #1844 |
| 2016 | 72 | #1991 |
| 2015 | 76 | #1910 |
| 2014 | 60 | #2230 |
| 2013 | 78 | #1827 |
| 2012 | 74 | #1923 |
| 2011 | 61 | #2145 |
| 2010 | 52 | #2402 |
| 2009 | 60 | #2203 |
| 2008 | 42 | #2828 |
| 2007 | 40 | #2920 |
| 2006 | 42 | #2744 |
| 2005 | 25 | #3710 |
| 2004 | 29 | #3285 |
| 2003 | 18 | #4426 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6522 |
| 2001 | 28 | #3143 |
Frequently asked questions
Is West a popular boy name?
West ranked #1253 among boys in 2025 with 159 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1910.
When was the name West most popular?
West peaked in 2025, when 159 American boys received the name (ranked #1252 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name West?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 11,321 newborn American boys was named West. It scores 37/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.