Wes - A very unique male name
Wes at a glance
Wes is ranked #716 among boy baby names in 2025, with 331 births in 2025. It peaked in 1963 at #657 and first appeared on the charts in 1947.
- Rank in 2025
- #716
- Births in 2025
- 331
- Peak year
- 1963 (#657)
- First appeared
- 1947
- Trend
- #1012 in 2020 → #716 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 4,430 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.6/5 (9 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 4,430 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Wes peaked in popularity 63 years ago in 1963 on position 657.
Famous with this name
Wes Bentley
Wes Chatham
Wes Craven
How would you rate Wes, 1-5?
Wes is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Wes is currently topping the baby name charts in New Hampshire at position #227 - and is the least popular in Virginia at position #1,082.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 Wes is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Wes origin and meaning
Short form of Wesley/Weston
Short for Wesley, 'western meadow' (Old English), or Weston, 'western town'
Wes is a clipped form of Wesley or Weston used on its own since 1947. (The data lists 0 syllables for Wes, which is a data quirk — it is spoken as one syllable.) It has risen sharply to its peak in 2025 with the nickname-name trend.
Attested etymology
Wes is a 3 letter name with 0 syllables.
To see famous people named Wes, pop culture references for the name Wes and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Wes
We've found the following names that sound similar to Wes, sorted by popularity.
Wash / Wacey / Wasco / Wess / Wojciech / Waqas / Wake /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 | 716 |
| 2024 | 736 |
| 2023 | 807 |
| 2022 | 815 |
| 2021 | 874 |
| 2020 | 1012 |
| 2019 | 1003 |
| 2018 | 1080 |
| 2017 | 1123 |
| 2016 | 1204 |
| 2015 | 1318 |
| 2014 | 1396 |
| 2013 | 1437 |
| 2012 | 1966 |
| 2011 | 2019 |
| 2010 | 1783 |
| 2009 | 2326 |
| 2008 | 2125 |
| 2007 | 3190 |
| 2006 | 2935 |
| 2005 | 2718 |
| 2004 | 4242 |
| 2002 | 3069 |
| 2001 | 3370 |
| 1998 | 2862 |
| 1994 | 3641 |
| 1990 | 2278 |
| 1987 | 2899 |
| 1986 | 1618 |
| 1984 | 1734 |
| 1983 | 1680 |
| 1982 | 1425 |
| 1980 | 1654 |
| 1979 | 1231 |
| 1978 | 2008 |
| 1977 | 1145 |
| 1976 | 1373 |
| 1975 | 1759 |
| 1974 | 1586 |
| 1973 | 1315 |
| 1972 | 1090 |
| 1971 | 1072 |
| 1970 | 869 |
| 1969 | 972 |
| 1968 | 947 |
| 1967 | 847 |
| 1966 | 930 |
| 1965 | 798 |
| 1964 | 747 |
| 1963 | 657 |
| 1962 | 727 |
| 1961 | 780 |
| 1960 | 685 |
| 1959 | 755 |
| 1958 | 825 |
| 1957 | 999 |
| 1955 | 1200 |
| 1953 | 1223 |
| 1952 | 1759 |
| 1951 | 1423 |
| 1948 | 1736 |
| 1947 | 1390 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 227 |
| Montana | 291 |
| Utah | 300 |
| Idaho | 329 |
| Massachusetts | 333 |
| Wisconsin | 436 |
| Connecticut | 438 |
| Pennsylvania | 487 |
| Iowa | 492 |
| Louisiana | 529 |
| Minnesota | 549 |
| Washington | 574 |
| Michigan | 599 |
| New Jersey | 605 |
| California | 664 |
| Colorado | 677 |
| Missouri | 708 |
| New York | 714 |
| Arizona | 715 |
| Illinois | 800 |
| Georgia | 850 |
| North Carolina | 866 |
| Tennessee | 919 |
| Florida | 955 |
| Texas | 973 |
| Virginia | 1082 |
Even more about Wes
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 Wes 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 Wes?
0 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
WES · /wɛs/
The source data lists syllables as 0; Wes is in fact a one-syllable name, and the 0 is reproduced as given.
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Wesley — The full name Wes most often shortens — a separate name
- Weston — Another full name Wes can shorten
Famous bearers
- Wes Anderson — American film director (b. 1969) Contemporary
- Wes Craven — American horror film director, creator of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1939–2015) Contemporary
Style
Nickname nameShort form
Why parents choose it
Wes gives parents a one-syllable, film-cool name that works without the longer Wesley.
Worth knowing
- People will assume it is short for Wesley or Weston
