Boy · #8,287 in 2026

Wess

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

Wesley Johnson, known by his stage name Wess, was an American-born Italian singer and bass guitarist, perhaps mostly known for representing Italy along with Dori Ghezzi at the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 in Stockholm, Sweden, placing third with the song "Era".

Current Rank

#8,287

Peak Rank

#1,987 (1965)

Total Babies

505

5-Yr Trend

+7%

1883

First Year

2024

Last Year

1965

Peak Year

#1987

Peak Rank

505

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Wess

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

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

The Story of Wess

Wess first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1883, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1965, when 16 Wesss were born — ranking #1,987 that year. As of 2026, Wess ranks #8,287 for baby boys with 9 births, gradually rising (+7%). In total, more than 505 Wesss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Wess

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

Wes
Wuss
Wis
Wus
Wiss
Wass
Wisse
Wyss
Weiss
Weis
Wice
Wase

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wess

What does the name Wess mean?

How popular is Wess in 2026?

In 2026, Wess ranks #8,287 among boys' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year.

When was Wess most popular?

Wess reached its peak popularity in 1965, ranking #1,987 that year with 16 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Wess most popular?

Wess has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Wess.

Is Wess a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Wess?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Wess include York, Blain, Clayborn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Wess

Wess is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1883 and has accumulated 505 births in the dataset. Wess's peak popularity came in 1965 when it ranked #1,987. Use the chart and map above to compare Wess'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.