Boy · #717 in 2026

Wes

Wes is a common English given name, often a diminutive for Wesley or Weston. It may refer to:

Current Rank
#717
Peak Rank
#626 (2026)
Total Babies
7K
5-Yr Trend
+59%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2026
Peak Year
#626
Peak Rank
7K
Total Count
107
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Wes

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

Wes is a common English given name, often a diminutive for Wesley or Weston. It may refer to:

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

The Story of Wes

Wes first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 374 Wess were born — ranking #717 that year. As of 2026, Wes ranks #717 for baby boys with 374 births, rising sharply (+59% over the past five years). In total, more than 7K Wess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Wes

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Wes Anderson (born 1969), American film producer, director, screenwriter and actor
  • Wes Barker , Canadian magician
  • Wes Bentley (born 1978), American actor
  • Wes Bergmann , contestant on MTV's The Real World and Real World/Road Rules Challenge
  • Wes Borland (born 1975), American rock guitarist, member of the band Black Light Burns
  • Wes Brisco (born 1983), American professional wrestler
  • Wes Brown (born 1979), English footballer
  • Wes Butters (born 1979), former BBC Radio 1 disk jockey

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

Names that sound like Wes

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

  • Wess
  • Wuss
  • Wis
  • Wus
  • Wiss
  • Wass
  • Wisse
  • Wyss
  • Weiss
  • Weis
  • Wice
  • Wase

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wes

What does the name Wes mean?
Wes is a common English given name, often a diminutive for Wesley or Weston. It may refer to:
How popular is Wes in 2026?
In 2026, Wes ranks #717 among boys' names in the U.S., with 374 babies given the name that year.
When was Wes most popular?
Wes reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #626 that year with 374 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Wes most popular?
Wes has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Oregon, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Wes.
Is Wes a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Wes is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Wes?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Wes include Arlan, Jessica, Ritchie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Wes

Wes is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Wes's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #626. Use the chart and map above to compare Wes'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.