Wakely
A diminutive form of the Old English name Wacca, meaning watchful or vigilant.
Name Census estimates that about 106 living Americans carry the first name Wakely. It is a predominantly female name (90.7% of registrations). The average person named Wakely today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wakely births was 2017 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wakely. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
106
~ 1 in 3,233,531 Americans
Peak year
2017
13 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,340
Tracked since 2011
Gender
Gender distribution for Wakely
Wakely leans heavily female at 90.7% of total registrations, but 10 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Wakely as a male name
- Ranked #14,137 in 2017
- 5 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2016 (5 births)
Wakely as a female name
- Ranked #13,340 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (12 births)
Popularity
Wakely: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wakely from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 65 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Wakely remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wakely by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wakely during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Wakely
The name Wakely is an English surname that has been used as a given name, particularly in the United States. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English words "wac" and "leah," which together mean "a clearing in the woods." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a place name referring to a settlement or village in a wooded area.
In terms of historical references, the earliest recorded use of the name Wakely as a given name dates back to the late 18th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this first name was Wakely Catchings, an American farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
Another notable figure with the name Wakely was Wakely Munn (1804-1844), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 8th congressional district from 1833 to 1837.
In the 19th century, Wakely Flint (1826-1899) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate.
Moving into the 20th century, Wakely Royce (1879-1962) was an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Royce and Royce Company, a manufacturer of automotive parts and accessories.
Another notable individual with the name Wakely was Wakely Murphy (1904-1972), an American actor and film producer who appeared in numerous westerns and crime films during the 1940s and 1950s.
While the name Wakely may not be as common as some other given names, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, politicians, lawyers, businessmen, and actors.
People
Wakely + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wakely as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wakely: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wakely?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 106 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wakely going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,233,531 US residents.
Is Wakely a common name?
We classify Wakely as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 107 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wakely most popular?
The single biggest year for Wakely was 2017, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wakely is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Wakely a female name?
Yes, 90.7% of people registered as Wakely in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.