Boys Names Beginning With W

A domesticated take on Wolf, if the animal name is too ferocious for your liking. Wolfie has never charted as a given name in the US, but that may soon change now that Wolf names are of interest following Kylie Jenner's baby name change.

A spelling variation of Weston most associated with the Westin hotel chain. To avoid looking like an advertisement, we think it’s best to stick with the more traditional spelling.

Wilde is a bold choice that equally fits in to a number of contemporary name trends. It's a daring, outdoorsy word name; a surname-style choice; a literary honor name; and a sound-alike for more popular choices such as Wilder, Wiley, Wyatt, and Wells. Best associated with the inimitable Irish author, poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, known for his wit, flamboyance, and literary talent, it was given to 12 boys in a recent year.

Despite its -son ending, Woodson is not a patronymic surname (although it would be a great choice for the child of a Woody or Woodrow). People with the surname Woodson have ancestors from Woodsome, a town in West Yorkshire, England. Woodsome means "place at the houses in the wood," from the Old English æt wudu-hūsum.

Place names for boys are few and far between; this one would make a singular choice. Prince William of Wales uses this as a surname when required, as in his military life; Jimmy Wales is the entrepreneur behind Wikipedia, Clint Eastwood played the eponymous character Josey (!) Wales in the 1976 The Outlaw Josey Wales.

An English surname originally denoting someone living near a farmstead in the forest. Makes an attractive and unusual addition to the -ley name family.

Likely to be construed as a virtue name (a nice one, at that!), even though Willing is a traditional surname with both English and German roots. As an English name, Willing is a patronymic form of Willa. In German, it's a patronym from Wille, a variation of Ville, which is related to William.

See WILLIE.

Asking for trouble.

There have been many great Willies (Mays, Nelson, Wonka), but a boy with this name could never ever go to England. Most people will also assume it is short for the more traditional William, which might be the best avenue for achieving this nickname.

Woodford is a vintage surname name that rejoined the charts in 2022 thanks to the recent trend of woodsy names for boys. You can take your pick of two stylish nicknames: Ford or Woods.

Woodsy names for boys are hotter than ever, so we wouldn't be surprised if Woodland gets picked up by unique baby name hunters in the coming years.

Weaver, which made an appearance as a first name on the U.S. Top 1000 in the late 19th century and then vanished, may rise again along with its occupational brethren, from already-popular choices such as Cooper and Parker to au courant ones like Archer to occupational hotties of the future, including Booker and Sayer.

Not all words work as baby names, but Wonder would transition seamlessly.

Virtue name popular with the Puritans, with a warm and welcoming sound. It was used for a minor character in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Actor Wood Harris, best known for his role as Avon Barksdale in The Wire, brought this one into the lexicon. Wood is Harris's nickname -- his real name is Sherwin David -- but it's the name he's exclusively known by. And it fits right in with the current hot trend for woodsy names for boys.

Wendel is a masculine name with Germanic origins, derived from the Vandals, an ancient East Germanic tribe. The name means 'wanderer' or 'one who travels,' reflecting the nomadic nature of these historical people. As a variant of Wendell, it offers a slightly more streamlined spelling while maintaining the same pronunciation. Wendel carries an air of quiet strength and dignity, with historical connections to European nobility—several medieval German nobles bore the name. While never extremely common, Wendel enjoyed modest popularity in the early to mid-20th century, particularly in the United States and parts of Europe. The name has an intellectual, somewhat serious quality, often associated with thoughtfulness and reliability. In contemporary usage, Wendel offers a distinctive alternative to more common classic names, appealing to parents looking for a name with historical depth and understated character.

A common Chinese surname that made the Top 1000 in 1881.

Alternate form of Ville, also seen as a surname.