Whitley
Boy name · #1812 in 2025 · Uniqueness 40/100
In 2025, 88 baby boys were named Whitley, placing it at #1812 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #5507, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 20,455 boys born in 2025 was named Whitley.
Babies named Whitley per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 111-year story
Whitley first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 88 babies and a rank of #1808. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Whitley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Whitley in class?
Whitley scores 40 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 Whitley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Whitley is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Whitleys were TX (12), MO (11), GA (7), NC (6), KS (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Whitley
Statistically, parents drawn to Whitley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Huntley, Buckley, Ripley, Radley, and Wrigley.
HuntleyBuckleyRipleyRadleyWrigleyAdleyArleyWestley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Whitley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 88 | #1808 |
| 2024 | 77 | #1997 |
| 2023 | 79 | #1954 |
| 2022 | 63 | #2269 |
| 2021 | 50 | #2588 |
| 2020 | 37 | #3074 |
| 2019 | 47 | #2694 |
| 2018 | 44 | #2748 |
| 2017 | 42 | #2840 |
| 2016 | 33 | #3358 |
| 2015 | 16 | #5507 |
| 2014 | 14 | #5997 |
| 2013 | 15 | #5659 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7050 |
| 2011 | 8 | #8767 |
| 2010 | 6 | #10766 |
| 2009 | 5 | #12491 |
| 2008 | 7 | #9871 |
| 2007 | 6 | #10921 |
| 2006 | 9 | #7998 |
| 2005 | 9 | #7640 |
| 1998 | 6 | #8479 |
| 1997 | 6 | #8110 |
| 1996 | 7 | #7136 |
| 1995 | 6 | #7792 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Whitley a popular boy name?
Whitley ranked #1812 among boys in 2025 with 88 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5507.
When was the name Whitley most popular?
Whitley peaked in 2025, when 88 American boys received the name (ranked #1808 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Whitley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 20,455 newborn American boys was named Whitley. It scores 40/100 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.