Wayd
An Old Arabic masculine name meaning "small stream or valley".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Wayd. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wayd today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wayd births was 1961 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wayd. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wayd. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1961
5 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1998 SSA rank
#11,257
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Wayd: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wayd from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wayd 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 Wayd 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 Wayd
The name Wayd has its roots in the ancient language of Proto-Germanic, spoken by various Germanic tribes in northern and central Europe during the first millennium BC. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word "waidaz," which means "to go hunting" or "to wander." This suggests that the name may have been associated with hunters, travelers, or nomadic tribes in the early days.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wayd can be found in the Old English poem "Beowulf," which dates back to around the 8th century AD. In this epic, Wayd is mentioned as a legendary warrior and hero. However, it is unclear whether this was an actual person or a fictional character.
During the Middle Ages, the name Wayd appeared in various historical records across Europe, particularly in regions with Germanic influences. One notable figure from this period was Wayd the Blacksmith (c. 1150-1220), a skilled craftsman and metalworker who lived in the city of Cologne, Germany. His intricate ironwork can still be seen in some of the city's historic buildings.
In the 16th century, Wayd Holtzer (1490-1562) was a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Lutheranism. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and helped translate the Bible into German.
Another historical figure with the name Wayd was Wayd Denker (1670-1729), a Dutch philosopher and mathematician. He made important contributions to the field of calculus and was a contemporary of Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
In the 19th century, Wayd Raleigh (1815-1891) was a British explorer and naturalist who made several expeditions to the Amazon rainforest. His detailed accounts and extensive collections of plant and animal specimens greatly contributed to the understanding of the region's biodiversity.
It is worth noting that while the name Wayd has been used throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to other names. This may be due to its unique spelling and pronunciation, which can vary across different languages and regions.
People
Wayd + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wayd 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
Wayd: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wayd?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wayd 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Wayd a common name?
We classify Wayd as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wayd most popular?
The single biggest year for Wayd was 1961, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wayd is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wayd in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wayd a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wayd in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Wayd still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wayd in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wayd can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Wayd?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Wayd, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.