Wilson
Wilson was the 673rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 405 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 122nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,381). Over the last ten years it has moved down 52 places. More babies were named Wilson in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning son of Will (William) · English, Germanic
Say it WIL-sun /ˈwɪlsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #673 boys, down 17 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 405boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19181,381 babies
- Total since 1880
- 49,017babies recorded
What does the name Wilson mean?
Wilson is an English, Scottish and northern Irish surname meaning "son of Will," a short form of William, according to Wiktionary. DMNES explains William as Old High German willo, will or desire, plus helm, helmet. Wiktionary notes French has borrowed Wilson from English as both a surname and a given name. In the US it has been used as a boys' name since 1880.
willo (Old High German, “will, desire”)helm (Old High German, “helmet”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: William, Will, Willis, Williamson.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Wilson' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'William', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Wilson popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 210 since 1913.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #673 | 405 |
| 2020 | #656 | 402 |
| 2010 | #585 | 429 |
| 2000 | #526 | 421 |
| 1990 | #480 | 417 |
| 1980 | #502 | 284 |
| 1970 | #475 | 288 |
| 1960 | #475 | 281 |
| 1950 | #359 | 352 |
| 1940 | #265 | 447 |
| 1930 | #273 | 430 |
| 1920 | #221 | 583 |
| 1910 | #223 | 112 |
| 1900 | #208 | 89 |
| 1890 | #200 | 67 |
| 1880 | #179 | 72 |
How popular is Wilson, counting every spelling?
Wilson is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #650 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #673 for Wilson on its own. Together these spellings went to 413 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 405 | #673 | 1,998 |
| Willson | 8 | #9,658 | 34 |
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 Wilson?
405 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wilson (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Wilson 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 21 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wilson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wilson?
About 26,800 people born in the US named Wilson are alive today, with a median age of 32; half are between 17 and 56. That makes Wilson mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Wilson by state
How common Wilson was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (2.7×), South Carolina (2.3×), Minnesota (2.0×), Tennessee (2.0×), Mississippi (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Wilson: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wilson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Wilson · Sibling names for Wilson
Questions about the name Wilson
What does Wilson mean?
Wilson means “son of Will (William)” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Wilson?
Wilson was the 673rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 405 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 122nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,381). Over the last ten years it has moved down 52 places. More babies were named Wilson in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Wilson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Wilson in the US.
Where is Wilson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Wilson was most common in Alabama (0.62 per 1,000 boys), followed by South Carolina and Minnesota.