Wilson first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Wilson has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Wilson

A masculine English name derived from the surname meaning "son of Will".

Popularity of Wilson by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Wilson is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Wilson being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 404 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Wilson.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 404 0
2022 386 0
2021 369 6
2020 401 5
2019 417 0
2018 432 5
2017 403 5
2016 439 0
2015 433 5
2014 461 5
2013 391 6
2012 422 0
2011 409 0
2010 429 0
2009 488 0
2008 492 0
2007 473 5
2006 507 5
2005 516 6
2004 547 0
2003 468 0
2002 509 0
2001 463 10
2000 421 5
1999 405 0
1998 400 6
1997 380 0
1996 380 5
1995 410 6
1994 368 5
1993 434 0
1992 513 8
1991 436 7
1990 417 9
1989 323 0
1988 353 0
1987 293 0
1986 286 0
1985 276 5
1984 269 0
1983 248 5
1982 270 5
1981 259 7
1980 284 0
1979 242 0
1978 225 0
1977 213 0
1976 217 0
1975 217 0
1974 206 0

The history of the first name Wilson

The name Wilson is an English given name derived from the surname Wilson, which is itself derived from the Old English words "will" and "sun", meaning "son of Will" or "son of William". The name originated in England during the Middle Ages, likely as a way to identify the son of a person named William or Will.

In terms of historical references, the name Wilson is not found in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, it does appear in various historical records and documents from the medieval period onwards, particularly in England and other English-speaking regions.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Wilson as a given name dates back to the late 16th century. A notable figure from this time period is Wilson Raleigh, an English author and poet who lived from around 1551 to 1622.

In the 17th century, the name Wilson gained some prominence with individuals like Wilson Cary (1594-1677), an English politician and member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another notable figure from this era is Wilson Higginson (1631-1670), an English theologian and author.

The 18th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the name Wilson, including Wilson Ritchie (1713-1783), a Scottish philosopher and academic, and Wilson Hogarth (1697-1764), an English painter and engraver known for his satirical works.

In the 19th century, the name Wilson continued to be used, with individuals such as Wilson Peel (1823-1891), a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Wilson Stevenson (1838-1905), a Scottish-American inventor and engineer who helped develop the modern lighthouse lens system.

Other notable figures with the name Wilson include Wilson Pickett (1941-2006), an American singer and songwriter known as a pioneer of soul music, and Wilson Keppel (1925-1994), a British actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films and television shows.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Wilson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wilson, please contact us.

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"Wilson first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/wilson-meaning-and-history/.

"Wilson first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/wilson-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Wilson first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/wilson-meaning-and-history/.

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