Boys' name · peaked in 1918
Wilson name popularity since 1925
37,297 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Wilson. Half of them were born in 1980 or earlier, so the typical Wilson is about 46 years old in 2026. Wilson peaked in 1918 as the #122 name for boys, and it ranked #673 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 37,297
- Named Wilson, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1918
- #122 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #673
- for boys in 2025 (405 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 160 girls · 37,137 boys
- Most popular in
- Louisiana
- 2.96× its national share
Peak year is the year Wilson 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.
Wilson births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 2004. Measured as a share of all babies, Wilson peaked earlier, in 1918.
- Steepest fall: Between 1944 and 1949, Wilson's share of baby boys fell by 36%, from 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 4,710.
- Fastest rise: Between 1987 and 1992, it became 1.6× more common, from 1 in 6,350 baby boys to 1 in 3,890.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Wilson's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Wilson.
Decade by decade
Babies named Wilson 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 | 8 | 2,203 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 3,696 | #296 |
| 1940s | 5 | 4,359 | #300 |
| 1950s | 0 | 3,383 | #396 |
| 1960s | 0 | 2,660 | #489 |
| 1970s | 10 | 2,308 | #548 |
| 1980s | 22 | 2,862 | #526 |
| 1990s | 46 | 4,144 | #504 |
| 2000s | 31 | 4,884 | #484 |
| 2010s | 27 | 4,238 | #621 |
| 2020–25 | 11 | 2,400 | #673 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
19.7% of babies named Wilson from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Z years (1997–2012). The full split by generation:
Where Wilson is most popular
The index compares Wilson'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 Wilson.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 2.96× | 1,773 |
| South Carolina | 2.81× | 1,313 |
| Alabama | 2.38× | 1,404 |
| Mississippi | 2.36× | 954 |
| Virginia | 2.01× | 1,506 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Wilson's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Wilson.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Wilson (1918).
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