Welles
A masculine name of English origin referring to a wellspring or source.
Name Census estimates that about 425 living Americans carry the first name Welles. It is a predominantly male name (97.7% of registrations). The average person named Welles today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Welles births was 2021 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Welles. 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
425
~ 1 in 806,481 Americans
Peak year
2021
56 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,583
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Welles
Welles leans heavily male at 97.7% of total registrations, but 10 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Welles as a male name
- Ranked #3,583 in 2024
- 32 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (56 births)
Welles as a female name
- Ranked #17,373 in 2020
- 5 female births in 2020
- Peak: 2019 (5 births)
Popularity
Welles: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Welles from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 228 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
Welles 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 Welles during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Welles' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Pennsylvania, California, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Welles, while Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Welles
The name Welles is an English given name with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "wella," meaning "spring" or "well," and was initially used as a surname for those who lived near a well or spring.
During the medieval period, the name Welles was particularly prevalent in England, where it was often associated with landowners or individuals of noble lineage. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir John Welles, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War.
In the realm of literature, the name Welles gained prominence with the birth of Orson Welles (1915-1985), the celebrated American actor, director, and writer. Welles is best known for his groundbreaking film "Citizen Kane" (1941), which is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made.
Another notable figure bearing the name Welles was Gideon Welles (1802-1878), an American politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy during the Civil War under President Abraham Lincoln. His efforts played a crucial role in the Union's eventual victory.
In the world of music, the name Welles is associated with Marty Welles (1948-2021), an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who co-founded the rock band Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His contributions to the band's unique blend of country, folk, and rock music were widely acclaimed.
Welles is also the first name of Welles Crowther (1977-2001), an equities trader and former Boston College lacrosse player who became known as the "Man in the Red Bandana" for his heroic actions during the 9/11 attacks. Crowther sacrificed his life while helping to evacuate numerous individuals from the World Trade Center.
Throughout history, the name Welles has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from nobility and literature to politics and heroism. Its enduring presence serves as a testament to its rich cultural heritage and the remarkable individuals who have carried this name.
People
Welles + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Welles 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
Welles: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Welles?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 425 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Welles 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 806,481 US residents.
Is Welles a common name?
We classify Welles as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 438 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Welles most popular?
The single biggest year for Welles was 2021, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Welles is about 7 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 Welles in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Welles a male name?
Yes, 97.7% of people registered as Welles 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 Welles still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Welles 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 Welles 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 share the name Welles?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.