Wisdom
Wisdom, also known as sapience, is defined by psychologists as a combination of "wit and virtue," the ability to apply expert tacit and experiential knowledge, balancing intrapersonal, interpersonal and institutional interests, to deal with complex questions of life and attain a common good.
Meaning & Origin of Wisdom
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Wisdom, also known as sapience, is defined by psychologists as a combination of "wit and virtue," the ability to apply expert tacit and experiential knowledge, balancing intrapersonal, interpersonal and institutional interests, to deal with complex questions of life and attain a common good.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Wisdom
As a girl name
Wisdom first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1994, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 58 Wisdoms were born — ranking #2,891 that year. As of 2026, Wisdom ranks #2,894 for girls with 58 births, rising sharply (+37% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Wisdoms have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Wisdom first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1988, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 75 Wisdoms were born — ranking #2,019 that year. As of 2026, Wisdom ranks #2,301 for boys with 63 births, rising sharply (+32% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Wisdoms have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Wisdom
Phonetically similar names — useful when Wisdom is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wisdom
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About the name Wisdom
Wisdom is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1988 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Wisdom's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #2,019. Use the chart and map above to compare Wisdom's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.