Wesley

Wesley - A very unique female name

Wesley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1913 on position #1341. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Wesley and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Wesley? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Wesley. The baby girl name Wesley was given to 44 baby girls in 2025, ranking #2114 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 29,624 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Wesley peaked in popularity 113 years ago in 1913 on position 1341.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Wesley, 1-5?

Wesley is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Wesley is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #1,202 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,618.

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 Wesley is where you live.

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Wesley origin and meaning

English surname

A transferred English surname, from Old English for 'western meadow'

Wesley is the surname of John Wesley, founder of Methodism, from an English place name meaning the west meadow. As a girls' name it has appeared in small numbers since 1913, a spillover from the much larger boys' name. Girls' use peaked in 2022 and is rising modestly.

Attested etymology

Wesley is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Wesley, pop culture references for the name Wesley and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Wesley

We've found the following names that sound similar to Wesley, sorted by popularity.

Weslie / Weslee /

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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)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Wesley

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 Wesley 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 female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Wesley?

2 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.

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Pronunciation

WES-lee · /ˈwɛsli/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Weslee — A phonetic respelling
• Wesleigh — A feminised respelling seen in recent use

Nicknames: Wes

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

SurnameClassic

Why parents choose it

Parents choosing Wesley for a daughter are borrowing a familiar, friendly surname name across gender lines. It remains far rarer for girls than for boys, which is the appeal for some families.

Worth knowing

• Most people will assume a boy named Wesley — the boys' name is vastly more common
• Methodist founder John Wesley is the dominant historical association