Wealthy
One who possesses considerable riches and abundance.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Wealthy. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wealthy today is around 91 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wealthy births was 1916 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wealthy. 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
- • The typical person named Wealthy is about 91 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Wealthys were born before 1945.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wealthy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1916
12 babies that year
Average age
91
years old
1941 SSA rank
#4,405
Tracked since 1887
Popularity
Wealthy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wealthy from the 1880s through to the 1940s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 45 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wealthy 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 Wealthy 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 Wealthy
The name Wealthy originates from the Old English word "wealþig," which means "prosperous" or "abundant." This name has its roots in Anglo-Saxon culture and can be traced back to the 5th century AD in England.
The name Wealthy was derived from the Old English word "wealhþu," which means "wealth" or "riches." It was initially used as a descriptive term to refer to individuals who possessed significant wealth or prosperity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wealthy can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record compiled in the late 9th century. The chronicle mentions a nobleman named Wealthy who lived during the reign of King Alfred the Great (849-899 AD).
In medieval times, the name Wealthy was associated with affluence and social status. It was commonly used among the nobility and upper classes, as wealth was often seen as a sign of divine favor and good fortune.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Wealthy was Wealthy of Malmesbury (c. 1095-1142), an English Benedictine monk and chronicler. He is known for his work "Gesta Regum Anglorum" (Deeds of the Kings of England), which chronicled the reigns of English monarchs from the Anglo-Saxon period to the early Norman era.
Another prominent individual with the name Wealthy was Wealthy Plantagenet (1269-1307), a member of the English royal family and the youngest son of King Edward I. He held various titles, including Earl of Kent and Lord of Gascony.
In the 16th century, Wealthy Chaucer (1540-1602) was an English poet and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was distantly related to the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer and is known for his contributions to English Renaissance literature.
During the 17th century, Wealthy Winthrop (1628-1707) was an English Puritan missionary who played a significant role in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He served as the governor of Connecticut and was a prominent figure in New England's colonial society.
Wealthy Maxwell (1785-1857) was a Scottish novelist and historian who wrote extensively about the history and folklore of her native country. She is best known for her novel "The Fortunes of Hector O'Halloran," which depicts life in Scotland during the 18th century.
While the name Wealthy was once associated with wealth and prosperity, its usage has declined in modern times. It is now considered an uncommon name, but its historical significance remains a testament to the cultural and linguistic traditions of the English-speaking world.
People
Wealthy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wealthy 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
Wealthy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wealthy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wealthy 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 Wealthy a common name?
We classify Wealthy 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, 174 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wealthy most popular?
The single biggest year for Wealthy was 1916, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wealthy is about 91 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 Wealthy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wealthy a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wealthy 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.
Is Wealthy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wealthy 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 Wealthy 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 are named Wealthy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.