Boy · #4,136 in 2026

Wales

Name: Popularity of the name Wales in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Wales, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Located on the island of Great Britain, it is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of 2021, it had a population of 3.2 million.

Current Rank

#4,136

Peak Rank

#2,829 (1939)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1914

First Year

1968

Last Year

1939

Peak Year

#2829

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Wales

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

Main articles: Etymology of Wales and Cymru The English words Wales and Welsh derive from the same Old English root (singular Wealh , plural Wēalas ), a descendant of Proto-Germanic * Walhaz , which was itself derived from the name of the Gauls known to the Romans as Volcae . This term was later used to refer indiscriminately to inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire . Anglo-Saxons came to use the term to refer to the Britons in particular; the plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. Historically in Britain , the words were not restricted to modern Wales or to the

Origin & history

Main articles: History of Wales and Timeline of Welsh history See also: Archaeology of Wales Caradog (depicted by Thomas Prydderch), leader of the north Wales Celtic tribe the Ordovices . Although the Welsh nation did not arise until the Middle Ages , the territory of Wales was permanently settled from the end of the last ice age onwards. These first farmers left many impressive funerary monuments, as well as settlement sites that speak to a dispersed culture. With the arrival of the Bronze Age , the Great Orme in North Wales became Britain's premier producer of copper, one of the key ores for

The Story of Wales

Wales first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1939, when 7 Waless were born — ranking #2,829 that year. As of 2026, Wales ranks #4,136 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 38 Waless have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Wales

Phonetically similar names — useful when Wales is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Whales
Wails
Wailes
Walls
Wheels
Wells
Wills
Wiles
Whiles
Wals
Wools
Walz

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wales

What does the name Wales mean?

How popular is Wales in 2026?

In 2026, Wales ranks #4,136 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Wales most popular?

Wales reached its peak popularity in 1939, ranking #2,829 that year with 7 babies given the name.

Is Wales a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Wales is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Wales?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Wales include Ura, Broward, Sig. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Wales

Wales is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 38 births in the dataset. Wales's peak popularity came in 1939 when it ranked #2,829. Use the chart and map above to compare Wales's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.