Wells - A very unique male name
Wells at a glance
Wells is ranked #344 among boy baby names in 2025, with 930 births in 2025. It peaked in 2025 at #344 and first appeared on the charts in 1916.
- Rank in 2025
- #344
- Births in 2025
- 930
- Peak year
- 2025 (#344)
- First appeared
- 1916
- Trend
- #543 in 2020 → #344 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 1,577 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.5/5 (38 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 1,577 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Wells peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 344.
Famous with this name
Dolly Wells
Claudia Wells
John Wells
How would you rate Wells, 1-5?
Wells is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Wells is currently topping the baby name charts in Utah at position #104 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #908.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Wells is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Wells origin and meaning
English, transferred surname
'(Dweller) by the spring or stream' — from Old English wella, 'spring, stream'
Wells is an English surname for someone who lived near a spring or stream, also a cathedral city name in Somerset. As a first name it was recorded from 1916 but only in scattered years until recently. It is rising now and reached its highest use in 2025.
Attested etymology
Wells is a 5 letter name with 1 syllables.
To see famous people named Wells, pop culture references for the name Wells and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Wells
We've found the following names that sound similar to Wells, sorted by popularity.
Wallace / Willis / Wilgus / Wilkie / Welles / Wilkes /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 344 |
| 2024 | 375 |
| 2023 | 442 |
| 2022 | 455 |
| 2021 | 476 |
| 2020 | 543 |
| 2019 | 615 |
| 2018 | 700 |
| 2017 | 955 |
| 2016 | 1482 |
| 2015 | 1632 |
| 2014 | 1765 |
| 2013 | 2429 |
| 2012 | 2977 |
| 2011 | 4365 |
| 2010 | 4366 |
| 1993 | 3622 |
| 1931 | 1776 |
| 1924 | 2011 |
| 1921 | 2028 |
| 1919 | 1922 |
| 1916 | 1780 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Utah | 104 |
| North Dakota | 106 |
| New Hampshire | 129 |
| Kansas | 159 |
| South Dakota | 169 |
| Montana | 172 |
| Nebraska | 178 |
| Maine | 203 |
| District of Columbia | 204 |
| Colorado | 216 |
| Iowa | 230 |
| North Carolina | 232 |
| Mississippi | 236 |
| Tennessee | 242 |
| Oklahoma | 249 |
| South Carolina | 264 |
| Kentucky | 266 |
| Alabama | 287 |
| Michigan | 287 |
| Missouri | 290 |
| Oregon | 294 |
| Wisconsin | 299 |
| Connecticut | 323 |
| Minnesota | 326 |
| Ohio | 332 |
| Illinois | 344 |
| Massachusetts | 358 |
| Maryland | 363 |
| Washington | 363 |
| Virginia | 363 |
| Idaho | 373 |
| Louisiana | 400 |
| Georgia | 405 |
| Indiana | 409 |
| Texas | 413 |
| Pennsylvania | 426 |
| Arizona | 525 |
| Arkansas | 552 |
| Florida | 582 |
| New York | 713 |
| California | 844 |
| New Jersey | 908 |
Even more about Wells
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Wells a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Wells?
1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
WELZ · /wɛlz/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Famous bearers
None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.
Style
Surname
Why parents choose it
Wells has the quiet, old-money surname polish currently in demand, with a nature meaning underneath.
Worth knowing
- Identical to the common word and the bank name Wells Fargo — both associations are immediate.
- No widely recognised bearer carries Wells as a given name.
