Wilder
Wilder was the 431st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 743 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 367th with 890 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 534 places. More babies were named Wilder in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English, German
Say it WYL-der /ˈwaɪldər/
- Rank in 2025
- #431 boys, down 4 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 743boys
- Girls and boys
- 7% girls, 93% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021890 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,835babies recorded
What does the name Wilder mean?
Wilder is an English and German surname whose origin is not documented in the sources consulted; it is usually connected with the word wild, perhaps as a nickname. As a modern first name it also echoes the English word wilder (as in wilderness) and the authors Laura Ingalls Wilder and Thornton Wilder. It has risen as a boy's name in the US mainly since the 2010s.
wilde (Middle English, “wild (probable link)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Surname origin not documented; the 'wild' connection is likely but unconfirmed.
Related names: Wild, Wyler.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'wilder', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Wilder popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,572 | #431 | 43 | 743 |
| 2020 | #2,438 | #427 | 72 | 695 |
| 2010 | #19,689 | #2,097 | 5 | 65 |
| 2000 | — | #4,200 | — | 19 |
| 1990 | — | #4,162 | — | 14 |
| 1980 | — | #7,271 | — | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | #4,182 | — | 5 |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | #4,271 | — | 6 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Wilder, counting every spelling?
Wilder is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #306 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #431 for Wilder on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,150 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilder | 743 | #431 | 4,091 |
| Wylder | 407 | #671 | 1,692 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Wilder?
743 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wilder (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Wilder born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wilder.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wilder?
About 8,000 people born in the US named Wilder are alive today, with a median age of 5; half are between 3 and 9. That makes Wilder a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Wilder by state
How common Wilder was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (11.1×), Maine (4.9×), Montana (4.7×), New Hampshire (3.6×), South Dakota (3.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Nevada, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Wilder: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wilder, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Wilder · Sibling names for Wilder
Questions about the name Wilder
What does Wilder mean?
The origin of Wilder is uncertain: Surname origin not documented; the 'wild' connection is likely but unconfirmed.
How popular is the name Wilder?
Wilder was the 431st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 743 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 367th with 890 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 534 places. More babies were named Wilder in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Wilder a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 7% girls, 93% boys given the name Wilder in the US.
Where is Wilder most popular?
In 2021–2025, Wilder was most common in Vermont (5.25 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maine and Montana.