Wesley is a name of English origin that has been popular throughout history. It is derived from the Middle English name "Westle" which means "from the western meadow". The name was originally given to people who lived in or near western meadows.
The name Wesley gained popularity in the 18th century due to the influence of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Although there is no direct connection between John Wesley and the name Wesle
Based on the statistics provided, the name Wesley has seen a fluctuating trend in popularity over the years in the United States. The earliest recorded birth year for the name was 1926, with five births that year. This number remained consistent until 1932 when it again saw five births.
In the following decades, there were periods of increased popularity for the name Wesley. For instance, between 1977 and 1980, the number of births with this name ranged from seven to eleven. The peak year during this period was 1978 and 1980, each seeing eleven births.
However, after a brief increase in popularity, the number of Wesley births declined again in the mid-1980s, ranging between five and ten births per year until 1989. From 1990 onwards, there was another period of increased popularity for the name, with birth numbers fluctuating between six to ten births annually.
The most recent data shows that in 2022, seven babies were named Wesley, suggesting a consistent level of popularity for this name over time. Overall, since 1926, there have been a total of 264 babies named Wesley born in the United States. This indicates that while the name may not be among the most popular, it has maintained a steady presence throughout the years.