boy's name
Wesley
WES-lee
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 269,098
the United States
#52
2025 births
Wesley is a boy's name of English origin meaning "western meadow," from the Old English west and leah. It became a given name almost entirely through John Wesley, the eighteenth-century founder of Methodism, whose followers adopted his surname as a first name.
- Wesley is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 5,679 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 584 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Wesley 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 | 1,186 |
| 1890s | 1,370 |
| 1900s | 1,693 |
| 1910s | 7,687 |
| 1920s | 12,970 |
| 1930s | 11,055 |
| 1940s | 12,614 |
| 1950s | 18,207 |
| 1960s | 18,957 |
| 1970s | 23,506 |
| 1980s | 31,570 |
| 1990s | 28,645 |
| 2000s | 21,325 |
| 2010s | 31,639 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 28,545 |
What Wesley means
Wesley means western meadow or western clearing, from the Old English leah, a word for woodland clearing that appears in a very large number of English place names and surnames.
Where Wesley comes from
Wesley comes from an English place name combining west with the Old English leah, meaning a clearing or meadow — the same element behind Ashley, Bradley, and hundreds of other names. It became a surname in the ordinary way, from families associated with such places. Its life as a given name is unusual and well documented: John Wesley, who with his brother Charles founded Methodism in the eighteenth century, was so revered by the movement that Methodist families across Britain and America began giving his surname to their sons. The name spread with Methodism, particularly in the American South, and became widespread far beyond the denomination.
Wesley in use
Wesley became a first name because Methodist families named sons after John Wesley — a rare case of a movement spreading a surname.
How popular is Wesley?
In 2025, Wesley was given to 5,679 babies in the United States, ranking #52 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Wesley 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 Wesley
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Wesley also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Wesley over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Wesley
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.
Wesley 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.
Sibling names for Wesley
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Wesley — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Wesley
What does the name Wesley mean?
Wesley means "western meadow," from the Old English west and leah.
Is Wesley named after John Wesley?
Its use as a first name comes almost entirely from Methodist families naming sons after the founder of Methodism.
What are nicknames for Wesley?
Wes is the standard short form.
How popular is the name Wesley?
In 2025, Wesley was given to 5,679 babies in the United States, ranking #52 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Wesley a girl's or a boy's name?
Wesley is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Wesley?
Wesley has 2 syllables.
When was Wesley most popular?
Wesley peaked in 2025, when 5,679 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Wesley a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Wesley currently ranks #40 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.