boy's name
Wallace
WOL-iss
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 84,772
the United States
#961
2025 births
Wallace means foreigner, and the irony is complete — it is the Anglo-Saxon word for the Britons who were there first, so Scotland's national hero carries a name meaning outsider in his own country.
- Wallace is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 1923, when 2,815 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 13,422 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Wallace over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,009 |
| 1890s | 1,204 |
| 1900s | 1,664 |
| 1910s | 8,763 |
| 1920s | 21,055 |
| 1930s | 13,342 |
| 1940s | 11,532 |
| 1950s | 9,502 |
| 1960s | 5,986 |
| 1970s | 2,865 |
| 1980s | 1,862 |
| 1990s | 1,099 |
| 2000s | 896 |
| 2010s | 1,616 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,456 |
What Wallace means
Wallace means a Welshman, a Celt, or a foreigner. The Germanic walha described any Romanised or Celtic people, so it marked the speaker's neighbors rather than themselves.
Where Wallace comes from
Wallace is the Old French waleis, from the Germanic walha — a word Germanic speakers used for Romanised and Celtic peoples generally. It gives Wales, Welsh, Cornwall, Wallonia and the walnut, which is the foreign nut. So the Anglo-Saxons named the island's original inhabitants foreigners. William Wallace's family were probably Britons of Strathclyde, which makes the name a fair description of how the incomers saw them. Our data marks it reviving.
Wallace in use
Wallace peaked in the United States in 1923, when 2,815 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 553rd in Scotland on 5 births, 961st in the United States on 275, 2500th in England and Wales on 10 and 5496th in France, across 84,772 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. Scotland ranking it highest is what the history would suggest.
How popular is Wallace?
In 2025, Wallace was given to 247 babies in the United States, ranking #961 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Wallace is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Wallace
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Wallace also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Wallace over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Wallace
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Wallace in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Scots
- Wallis
Sibling names for Wallace
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Wallace — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Wallace
What does the name Wallace mean?
Foreigner, or Welshman — from the Germanic walha, used for Romanised and Celtic peoples.
Does Wales really mean foreigner?
Yes. The Anglo-Saxons named the island's original inhabitants with their own word for outsiders.
Is walnut related?
Yes — the foreign nut, from the same root.
Is Wallace coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, at 553rd in Scotland.
How popular is the name Wallace?
In 2025, Wallace was given to 247 babies in the United States, ranking #961 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Wallace a girl's or a boy's name?
Wallace is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Wallace?
Wallace has 2 syllables.
When was Wallace most popular?
Wallace peaked in 1923, when 2,815 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Wallace?
Wallace is usually shortened to Wally.
Is Wallace a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Wallace currently ranks #553 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.