ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1913

First Year

2021

Last Year

2001

Peak Year

#9351

Peak Rank

210

Total Count

35

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Wilson

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

Wilson is a male first name. Notable people with the name include:

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%5Fof%5Fpeople%5Fwith%5Fgiven%5Fname%5FWilson) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%5Fof%5Fpeople%5Fwith%5Fgiven%5Fname%5FWilson)

📖

## The Story of Wilson

Wilson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 72 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 1,381 Wilsons were born — ranking #122 that year. As of 2026, Wilson ranks #650 for baby boys with 429 births, holding steady (+2%). In total, more than 49K Wilsons 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

🌐

## Where is Wilson most common? 

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally. 

* 🇺🇸United States42%
* 🇳🇿New Zealand17%
* 🇬🇧United Kingdom15%
* 🏳️JM13%
* 🇦🇺Australia13%

Source: [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts. 

🎶

## Names that sound like Wilson

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

* [Willson](/willson)
* Walson
* Willsome
* Welsome
* Wellstone
* Hilson
* [Willian](/willian)
* Wilsons
* Willen
* Wissen
* [Willison](/willison)
* [Nilson](/nilson)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Wilson

What does the name Wilson mean?

Wilson is a male first name. Notable people with the name include:

How popular is Wilson in 2026?

In 2026, Wilson ranks #650 among boys' names in the U.S., with 429 babies given the name that year.

When was Wilson most popular?

Wilson reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #122 that year with 1,381 babies given the name.

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

Wilson has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Delaware, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Wilson.

Is Wilson a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Wilson?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Wilson include Jasper, Ross, Dwight. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧AilinePeak #9351](/ailine)[👧RennyPeak #9351](/renny)[👧JackalynnPeak #9351](/jackalynn)[👧DafneyPeak #9351](/dafney)[👧PanayiotaPeak #9351](/panayiota)[👧BitaPeak #9351](/bita)[👧JylianPeak #9351](/jylian)[👧ElliciaPeak #9351](/ellicia)

## About the name Wilson 

Wilson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 49K births in the dataset. Wilson's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #122\. Use the chart and map above to compare Wilson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1918 → ](/year/1918)
* [ Names of the 1910s → ](/decade/1910s)
* [ Names starting with "W" → ](/letter/w)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.