Westley
Boy name · #619 in 2025 · Distinctive
Westley ranks #619 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 453 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1016, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,974 boys born in 2025 was named Westley.
The 138-year story
Westley first appears in the Social Security records in 1887, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 453 babies and a rank of #619. 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 Westley per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Westley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Westley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Westley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Westley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Westley is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Westley is most common in ID (1.2 per 1,000), OR (0.9 per 1,000), KS (0.9 per 1,000), CO (0.7 per 1,000), MA (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Westley is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Westley
Statistically, parents drawn to Westley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Whitley, Finnley, Oakley, Huxley, and Arley.
WhitleyFinnleyOakleyHuxleyArleyRadleyFinleyRipley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Westley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 453 | #619 |
| 2024 | 419 | #656 |
| 2023 | 400 | #679 |
| 2022 | 367 | #718 |
| 2021 | 340 | #750 |
| 2020 | 325 | #746 |
| 2019 | 291 | #793 |
| 2018 | 291 | #786 |
| 2017 | 262 | #843 |
| 2016 | 239 | #903 |
| 2015 | 200 | #1016 |
| 2014 | 174 | #1097 |
| 2013 | 186 | #1035 |
| 2012 | 140 | #1258 |
| 2011 | 116 | #1425 |
| 2010 | 108 | #1503 |
| 2009 | 109 | #1518 |
| 2008 | 105 | #1532 |
| 2007 | 89 | #1700 |
| 2006 | 81 | #1724 |
| 2005 | 79 | #1691 |
| 2004 | 65 | #1880 |
| 2003 | 69 | #1749 |
| 2002 | 90 | #1433 |
| 2001 | 57 | #1912 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Westley a popular boy name?
Westley ranked #619 among boys in 2025 with 453 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1016.
When was the name Westley most popular?
Westley peaked in 2025, when 453 American boys received the name (ranked #619 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Westley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,974 newborn American boys was named Westley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it 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.