Westly
A masculine name derived from the English word "west".
Name Census estimates that about 761 living Americans carry the first name Westly. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Westly today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Westly births was 1980 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Westly. 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
761
~ 1 in 450,400 Americans
Peak year
1980
24 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,784
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Westly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Westly from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 164 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Westly remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Westly 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 Westly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Westlys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Westly
The given name Westly is a modern English name that emerged in the late 20th century. It is a combination of the English words "west" and "ley," which means a meadow or clearing. The name likely originated as a surname derived from a place name, indicating someone who lived near a western meadow or clearing.
While the name Westly does not have a long historical lineage, its roots can be traced back to Old English words and place names. The element "west" has its origins in the Proto-Germanic word "westra," meaning "toward the setting sun." The suffix "-ley" comes from the Old English word "leah," meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.
There are no known historical references or mentions of the name Westly in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records, as it is a relatively modern coinage. However, the name's components, "west" and "ley," have been used in various place names and surnames throughout English history.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Westly are relatively recent, dating back to the late 20th century. Some notable individuals who have borne the name Westly include:
1. Westly R. Brown (born 1961), an American actor and comedian.
2. Westly Tongo (born 1982), a Congolese professional basketball player.
3. Westly Woodbury (born 1982), an American professional football player.
4. Westly Moore (born 1977), an American author, veteran, and social entrepreneur.
5. Westly Simons (born 1989), a Canadian professional ice hockey player.
While the name Westly is a modern invention, its components have a long history in the English language, reflecting the cultural and geographical influences that have shaped the naming traditions of the English-speaking world.
People
Westly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Westly 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
Westly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Westly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 761 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Westly 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 450,400 US residents.
Is Westly a common name?
We classify Westly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 926 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Westly most popular?
The single biggest year for Westly was 1980, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Westly is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Westly a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Westly 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.