Wesley
Top 1000
About Wesley
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.
Pronounced WEZ-lee.
As of October 2026, Wesley ranked #52 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #68.
Editor's take: The name Wesley is a boy's name of English origin meaning "western meadow".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #130 | 3,142 | 1,635.7 |
| 2015 | #126 | 3,232 | 1,686.2 |
| 2016 | #117 | 3,429 | 1,806.9 |
| 2017 | #111 | 3,577 | 1,932.5 |
| 2018 | #105 | 3,627 | 1,997.1 |
| 2019 | #99 | 3,763 | 2,097.3 |
| 2020 | #98 | 3,705 | 2,146.5 |
| 2021 | #85 | 4,216 | 2,409.9 |
| 2022 | #70 | 4,666 | 2,672.4 |
| 2023 | #70 | 4,550 | 2,659.9 |
| 2024 | #58 | 5,144 | 2,985.7 |
| 2025 | #52 | 5,578 | 3,265.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Wesley.
- Elliott
- Graham
- Harrison
- Bennett
- Spencer
- Jonah
- Maxwell
- Grant
- Lincoln
- Dean
- Gavin
- Jonas
- Reid
- Wyatt
- Emmett
- Griffin
- Nolan
- Rhett
- Holden
- Judah
Wesley on lists
Famous Wesleys
- 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
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