Wesley is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Wesley means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Wesley across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Wesley has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Wesley is a boy name of Old English origin meaning “western meadow”. associated with the founder of Methodism.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 250,969 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,525 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 159 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 10 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 859 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Wesley per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2025 (5,679/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (185/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1977 (155/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1977 (33/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (4/yr).
Wesley has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #87 nationally (given to 5,751 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2020s.
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