Wilkes

Wilkes - A very unique male name

Wilkes appeared on the charts for the first time in 2016 on position #4312. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Wilkes and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Wilkes? 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 Wilkes. The baby boy name Wilkes was given to 8 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3356 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 183,286 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Wilkes peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 3356.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Wilkes, 1-5?

Wilkes is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Wilkes is currently topping the baby name charts in Georgia at position #1,084 - and is the least popular in Georgia at position #1,084.

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 Wilkes is where you live.

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Wilkes origin and meaning

English — transferred surname, origin uncertain

Uncertain — Wilkes is an English surname, a patronymic form built on Wilk, a medieval short form of William, but as a first name it is a recent surname transfer with no given-name history

Wilkes has appeared as a boy's first name only since 2016, in the surname-style wave. Its darkest surname association is John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assassin — a surname association, flagged here, not a bearer. The surname's own derivation from William is probable rather than proven, hence the flag.

Origin uncertain

Wilkes is a 6 letter name with 1 syllables.

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

Similar to Wilkes

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

Wallace / Willis / Wells / Wilgus / Wilkie / Welles /

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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 Wilkes

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 Wilkes 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 Wilkes?

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.

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Pronunciation

WILKS · /wɪlks/

Around the world

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

Famous bearers

None yet — the name first appears in the data in 2016, and its oldest bearers are still young.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

A sharp, preppy surname novelty — William's distant echo in a one-syllable frame.

Worth knowing

• The John Wilkes Booth surname association is strong and negative for some families