Wesley

WEZ-lee or WESS-lee

English

"western meadow"

Wesley Origin and Meaning

The name Wesley is a boy's name of English origin meaning "western meadow".

Reminiscent of the Old West, with rugged charm and a gentle, easy-going feel, Wesley has long been a staple on the US charts.

Its popularity may have peaked in the 1970s when it reached #66, but Wesley has never really gone out of style. It’s always remained inside the US Top 200, making it a modern classic, solid and familiar but not too overused.

Now, Wesley is receiving renewed interest, joining Wyatt, Waylon, Maverick, Weston and Beau in the Top 100, as parents turn towards surnames-as-given-names and to names that feel both preppy and cowboyish.

Derived from an English surname – which likely came from an English place name – Wesley means "western meadow" or "western clearing." It was first used as a given name in the 1700’s, when parents chose it in honor of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

Wesley’s popularity has spread since then and it’s no longer tied to these religious associations. Instead, it has a number of other noteworthy bearers, including: the military general and politician, Wesley Clark; the actor, Wesley Snipes; the film directors, Wes Anderson and Wes Craven; the jazz guitarist, Wes Montgomery; and TV personality, Wes Nelson.

The name might also be remembered by the fans of several TV classics, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and "Last of the Summer Wine," all of which have featured a fictional Wesley.

Despite these notable namesakes, Wesley is currently only popular in the US. Though it has seen some usage in England, Wales, and France in recent years, it has yet to move into the spotlight.

Handsome and charming, Wesley is given to more than 4000 boys each year in the US, and following its recent trajectory, it could well move further up the charts. If you’re wanting to avoid a popular choice but love Wesley, the similar Westley ranks much lower. You could also consider Casey, Halston, Dempsey, or Layton.

Wesley Rank in US Top 1000

# 69 in the US

Wesley Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 62 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Wesley

• 69 US 2023
• 62 Nameberry 2025
• 53 Canada 2023
• 57 Future 2035
• 635 England 2023

20 Names Similar to Wesley

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Wesley.

• Elliott
• Graham
• Grant
• Harrison
• Bennett
• Gavin
• Reid
• Jonah
• Maxwell
• Spencer
• Lincoln
• Jonas
• Wyatt
• Griffin
• Dean
• Nolan
• Rhett
• Holden
• Emmett
• Judah

Famous People Named Wesley

• Wesley "Wes" Studi American actor
• Wesley Kanne Clark U.S. Army general
• Wesley Trent Snipes American actor
• Wesley Cook "Wes" Bentley American actor
• Wesley Wales "Wes" Anderson American screenwriter and director
• Wesley Carter "Wes" Welker American NFL football player
• Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven American film director
• John Wesley "Wes" Chatham American actor
• Wesley Woodyard American NFL football player
• Wesley Sneijder Dutch footballer
• Wesley Stromberg musician of American band Emblem3
• Wesley Chapman son of reality TV personality Dog the Bounty Hunter
• Wesley Burrowes Irish playwright and screenwriter
• Wesley Moodie South African tennis player
• Wesley Merritt U.S. Civil War general
• Wesley Barbasa So Filipino,American chess champion
• Wesley "Wes" Chan American YouTube filmmaker of Wong Fu Productions
• Wesley Jonathan American actor
• John and Charles Wesley founders of the Methodist Church
• Wesley Alan "Wes" Johnson personality on YouTube channel "Smosh Games"
• Wesley Taylor musical theatre actor
• Wesley Phillip Dirks (b. 2018) son of American professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, brother to Tobias
• Wesley James Fulmer (b. 2018) Son of Ned Fulmer of BuzzFeed's "try guys" and wife Ariel Fulmer
• Weslie Renae daughter of dancers Allison Holker and Stephen "tWitch" Boss

The name Wesley in Pop Culture

• Wesley Crusher character on TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
• Wesley Pegden character from "Last of the Summer Wine"
• Wesley Wyndam Pryce, character from the American TV series "Angel"
• Wesley Gibson character from the movie "Wanted"
• Wesley Snipes Liz Lemon love interest on "30 Rock"
• Wesley Hodges character from American TV show "The Torkelsons"
• Wesley character in "Mew Mew Power"
• Wesley Owens character from "Mr. Belvedere"
• Wesley Rush from "The DUFF"
• Westley character from "The Princess Bride"
• Dr. Wesley "Wes" Maxfield character on TV's "The Vampire Diaries"
• Wesley Stringer character from "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"
• Wesley Wizard character on Bee and Puppycat