Wesli
A masculine name of English origin, a variant spelling of Wesley.
Name Census estimates that about 22 living Americans carry the first name Wesli. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wesli today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wesli births was 2021 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wesli. 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 Wesli. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
22
~ 1 in 15,579,743 Americans
Peak year
2021
7 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2022 SSA rank
#17,602
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Wesli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wesli from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 12 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
Wesli 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 Wesli 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 Wesli
The name Wesli has its roots in the ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Old High German word "wesil," which means "weasel" or "small, slender animal." This name was likely given to individuals who were perceived as agile or quick-witted, drawing parallels with the characteristics of a weasel.
While the name Wesli does not appear in any major religious scriptures or ancient texts, its earliest recorded usage can be found in medieval German documents from the 9th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Wesli of Freising, a Bavarian nobleman who lived in the late 9th century and was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis the German.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Wesli. One of the most renowned was Wesli the Skald (c. 950-1020), a renowned Icelandic poet and storyteller who played a crucial role in preserving the oral traditions and sagas of Norse mythology. His poetic works were highly influential in shaping the literary landscape of medieval Scandinavia.
Another significant figure was Wesli of Bamberg (c. 1060-1130), a German theologian and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of canon law and the development of scholastic theology. His writings were widely circulated and studied in universities across Europe during the High Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, Wesli von Kiel (c. 1210-1272) was a influential German architect and master builder who oversaw the construction of several notable Gothic cathedrals and churches, including the iconic Cologne Cathedral. His innovative architectural techniques and attention to detail left a lasting impact on the Gothic style that spread throughout Europe.
During the Renaissance period, Wesli Ghibellini (1455-1520) was an Italian painter and fresco artist who gained renown for his vibrant and expressive works, which adorned numerous churches and palaces in his native Florence. His masterpiece, the fresco cycle in the Basilica of Santa Croce, is considered one of the finest examples of Renaissance art in Italy.
It is worth noting that while the name Wesli has its roots in Germanic languages, it has also been adopted and adapted in various cultures worldwide, each with its unique historical significance and connotations.
People
Wesli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wesli 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
Wesli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wesli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 22 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wesli 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 15,579,743 US residents.
Is Wesli a common name?
We classify Wesli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 41.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 22 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wesli most popular?
The single biggest year for Wesli was 2021, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wesli is about 11 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 Wesli in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wesli a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wesli 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 Wesli still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wesli 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 Wesli 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 Wesli?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.