Boys' name · peaked in 1947
Wayne name popularity since 1925
330,268 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Wayne. Half of them were born in 1953 or earlier, so the typical Wayne is about 73 years old in 2026. Wayne peaked in 1947 as the #30 name for boys, and it ranked #655 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 330,268
- Named Wayne, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #655
- for boys in 2025 (422 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 1,372 girls · 328,896 boys
- Most popular in
- North Dakota
- 2.72× its national share
Peak year is the year Wayne made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Wayne births per year, 1925–2025
1947 was the biggest year for Wayne both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 1929 and 1934, Wayne became 1.5× more common.
- Steepest fall: Between 1992 and 1997, its share of baby boys fell by 40%, from 1 in 2,180 to 1 in 3,660.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Wayne's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Wayne.
Decade by decade
Babies named Wayne in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 126 | 14,002 | – |
| 1930s | 237 | 41,141 | #49 |
| 1940s | 206 | 75,131 | #35 |
| 1950s | 274 | 88,092 | #44 |
| 1960s | 222 | 54,762 | #65 |
| 1970s | 166 | 24,616 | #120 |
| 1980s | 136 | 14,750 | #184 |
| 1990s | 5 | 7,502 | #358 |
| 2000s | 0 | 3,719 | #667 |
| 2010s | 0 | 3,052 | #744 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 2,129 | #655 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
47.6% of babies named Wayne from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Baby Boom years (1946–1964). The full split by generation:
Where Wayne is most popular
The index compares Wayne's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Wayne.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 2.72× | 2,833 |
| Hawaii | 2.63× | 2,719 |
| South Dakota | 2.49× | 2,620 |
| Maine | 2.42× | 3,427 |
| Vermont | 2.37× | 1,307 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Wayne's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Wayne.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Wayne (1947).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data