Wesly
From the English surname derived from West Leigh meaning "western meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 1,204 living Americans carry the first name Wesly. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wesly today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wesly births was 2002 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wesly. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 284,680 Americans
Peak year
2002
32 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,219
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Wesly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wesly from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 249 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wesly 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 Wesly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Weslys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Florida, California, New York recorded the most babies named Wesly, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Wesly
The name Wesly is of English origin and derives from the Old English word "west" and "leah," meaning "west meadow" or "western wood." It was initially a surname given to people who lived in or near a western forest or clearing.
The earliest recorded use of the name Wesly dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273 as "Westle." In the 14th century, variations like "Westley" and "Westlie" were documented in records from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Wesly was John Westley, an English Puritan minister born in 1636 in Dorset. He is known for his work as a nonconformist preacher and author, writing several religious texts.
In the 18th century, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was born in 1703 in Epworth, Lincolnshire. His influential role in the Methodist movement and his prolific writings on theology and social issues made him a significant figure in the history of Wesly.
Another prominent individual with the name was Samuel Wesley, born in 1766 in Bristol, England. He was a celebrated poet, writer, and Church of England clergyman, known for his satirical works and contributions to literary circles of his time.
In the 19th century, William Wesley, born in 1837 in Penzance, Cornwall, was a renowned bookseller and bibliographer. He specialized in scientific literature and is credited with establishing one of the most extensive collections of scientific books and manuscripts in the world.
Towards the end of the 19th century, John Wesley Hyatt, born in 1837 in Starkey, New York, was an inventor and industrialist who pioneered the development of celluloid, the first practical synthetic plastic material.
Throughout history, the name Wesly has been associated with individuals from various fields, including religion, literature, academia, and industry, reflecting its versatility and enduring presence across different eras and cultures.
People
Wesly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wesly 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
Wesly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wesly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,204 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wesly 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 284,680 US residents.
Is Wesly a common name?
We classify Wesly as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,426 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wesly most popular?
The single biggest year for Wesly was 2002, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wesly is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Wesly a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wesly 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.
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.