Wraith
A ghostly spirit or soul of a deceased person.
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Wraith. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wraith today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wraith births was 2009 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wraith. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Wraith with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wraith. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
2009
7 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,823
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Wraith: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wraith from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 14 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
Wraith 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 Wraith 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 Wraith
The name Wraith is not a traditional given name but rather a term derived from the Old English word "wraith," which means "a ghost, spirit, or apparition." This word has its roots in the Proto-Germanic word "wraith-o-z," which is related to the Old Norse word "raith," meaning "twisted or crooked."
In English folklore and literature, a wraith is a ghostly apparition of someone who is still alive, often believed to be an omen of impending death. The term has been used in various works of fiction, particularly in the horror and fantasy genres, to refer to supernatural entities or phantoms.
While Wraith is not a commonly used given name, there are a few notable instances of its use throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances is Wraith Batten, an English composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1590-1637). Another notable figure is Wraith Williamson, an American artist and illustrator known for his works in the fantasy genre, born in 1965.
In more recent times, the name Wraith has been used as a fictional character name in various works of literature, film, and television. For example, in the "Stargate Atlantis" television series, there is a character named Wraith, a member of a hostile alien race. Additionally, in the "World of Warcraft" video game franchise, there is a character named Wraith, a powerful undead sorcerer.
While not a traditional given name, Wraith has gained some popularity in certain subcultures and creative communities, particularly those associated with fantasy, horror, and science fiction. It is often chosen as a name to evoke a sense of mystery, darkness, or the supernatural.
Despite its unique and unconventional nature, the name Wraith has a rich history rooted in English folklore and literature, and it continues to be used in various creative works, adding to its distinctive and enigmatic appeal.
People
Wraith + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wraith 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
Wraith: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wraith?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wraith 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Wraith a common name?
We classify Wraith as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 38 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wraith most popular?
The single biggest year for Wraith was 2009, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wraith 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 Wraith in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wraith a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wraith 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 Wraith still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wraith 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 Wraith 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 Americans are named Wraith?
See how many Americans are named Wraith on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.