Wesley Name Meaning, Popularity and Origins
Origin:
English
Gender Distribution:
99% Masculine / 1% Feminine
Meaning:
Wesley means 'western clearing' or 'wood in the west'.
Meaning of the Name Wesley
Wesley is an English name that originated from a surname. It is derived from the Old English words 'west', meaning 'west', and 'leah', meaning 'wood' or 'clearing'. Therefore, the name Wesley can be interpreted as 'western clearing' or 'wood in the west'. It became a given name in the 19th century and gained popularity due to the influence of the Methodist leader John Wesley.
Popularity of the Name Wesley
The popularity for the name Wesley peaked in popularity in the year 2022 with 4,644 births, which ranked number 114 out of 29,174 unique names for that year. Wesley had the most female births in 2021 with 133, which ranked number 1,576 out of 17,628 female names for that year, and had the most male births in 2022 with 4,644, which ranked number 70 out of 14,255 male names for that year. The number of births for the name Wesley has increased sharply over the last ten years from 2,676 births to 4,773 births, an increase of 78.36%. Among males, Wesley has increased sharply in popularity over the last ten years from 2,648 births to 4,644 births, an increase of 75.38%. Among females, Wesley has increased sharply in popularity over the last ten years from 28 births to 129 births, an increase of 360.71%.
Nationwide Popularity of Wesley
- 20 Year Trend of Wesley: 130.69%
- 10 Year Trend of Wesley: 78.36%
- 10 Year Male Trend of Wesley: 75.38%
- 10 Year Female Trend of Wesley: 360.71%
Popularity of Wesley by State
For males, Wesley was most popular in Midwestern states with 1,271 births in the region. It was most commonly seen in CA, with 409 male births. Among females, Wesley was most popular in Western states with 22 births in the region. It was most commonly used in CA, with 15 female births. See below for a full state by state breakdown of the name Wesley. States with less than five births recorded will not be shown.
| State | Male Births | Male Gender Rank | Female Births | Female Gender Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | 6 | 144 | < 5 | N/A |
| AL | 65 | 86 | 7 | 660 |
| AR | 28 | 125 | < 5 | N/A |
| AZ | 84 | 96 | 5 | 1044 |
| CA | 409 | 105 | 15 | 1583 |
| CO | 111 | 45 | < 5 | N/A |
| CT | 40 | 92 | < 5 | N/A |
| DC | 20 | 39 | < 5 | N/A |
| DE | 18 | 50 | < 5 | N/A |
| FL | 175 | 129 | < 5 | N/A |
| GA | 143 | 81 | 6 | 1327 |
| HI | 9 | 115 | < 5 | N/A |
| IA | 61 | 45 | < 5 | N/A |
| ID | 46 | 33 | < 5 | N/A |
| IL | 166 | 64 | < 5 | N/A |
| IN | 95 | 79 | 5 | 1041 |
| KS | 69 | 39 | < 5 | N/A |
| KY | 45 | 115 | < 5 | N/A |
| LA | 69 | 68 | < 5 | N/A |
| MA | 133 | 45 | < 5 | N/A |
| MD | 85 | 65 | < 5 | N/A |
| ME | 42 | 11 | < 5 | N/A |
| MI | 177 | 41 | < 5 | N/A |
| MN | 146 | 20 | < 5 | N/A |
| MO | 104 | 54 | < 5 | N/A |
| MS | 41 | 69 | < 5 | N/A |
| MT | 27 | 17 | < 5 | N/A |
| NC | 136 | 92 | < 5 | N/A |
| ND | 15 | 67 | < 5 | N/A |
| NE | 50 | 27 | < 5 | N/A |
| NH | 42 | 19 | < 5 | N/A |
| NJ | 78 | 126 | < 5 | N/A |
| NM | 16 | 121 | < 5 | N/A |
| NV | 23 | 144 | < 5 | N/A |
| NY | 236 | 74 | < 5 | N/A |
| OH | 219 | 44 | 8 | 1016 |
| OK | 43 | 100 | < 5 | N/A |
| OR | 98 | 20 | < 5 | N/A |
| PA | 211 | 50 | < 5 | N/A |
| RI | 19 | 54 | < 5 | N/A |
| SC | 63 | 80 | 5 | 776 |
| SD | 24 | 28 | < 5 | N/A |
| TN | 103 | 83 | < 5 | N/A |
| TX | 296 | 134 | 10 | 2063 |
| UT | 104 | 27 | 7 | 525 |
| VA | 130 | 64 | < 5 | N/A |
| VT | 17 | 16 | < 5 | N/A |
| WA | 133 | 44 | < 5 | N/A |
| WI | 145 | 21 | < 5 | N/A |
| WV | 22 | 92 | < 5 | N/A |
| WY | 7 | 65 | < 5 | N/A |
2024 Popularity Projections for Wesley
- Total Births of Wesley: 5057 (5.96%)
- Male Births of Wesley: 4912 (5.78%)
- Female Births of Wesley: 150 (16.50%)
Given the upward trend of Wesley over the last 10 years, we expect this to continue in 2024 with roughly a 5.96% increase in total births, for a total of 5,057 births in 2024. Male births for Wesley have been increasing over the past decade, so we anticipate roughly 4,912 male births in 2024, an increase of 5.78%. For Females, births for Wesley have been increasing over the past 10 years, and we expect roughly 150 female births in 2024, an increase of 16.50%.