Every name given to a US baby since 1880, ranked year by year — straight from Social Security Administration birth records. 105,966 names · 375,362,447 births · public domain.

Wells

#1,402 most common boys' name of all time · #3,387 across all names · 98% male / 2% female · used 1881–2025

Rank among boys
#1,402
Rank overall
#3,387 of 105,966
First appeared
1881
Years on the list
117 of 146
All-time
7,164
Since 2016
5,565
Peak year
2025 #347
Best rank
#347 2025
Girls Boys peak 958/yr
1900192019401960198020002020

Wells first appears in 1881. That's the first year it was given to at least 5 US babies, which is the threshold below which the SSA withholds a name.

Year by year

YearGirlsBoysTotalRank
2025 14 944 958 #347
2024 12 869 881 #377
2023 18 696 714 #447
2022 15 659 674 #467
2021 17 621 638 #482
2020 10 521 531 #545
2019 18 432 450 #626
2018 13 327 340 #731
2017 10 233 243 #916
2016 12 124 136 #1,414
2015 7 89 96 #1,730
2014 7 88 95 #1,716
2013 6 60 66 #2,186
2012 — 51 51 #2,449
2011 5 37 42 #3,051
2010 6 32 38 #3,382
2009 — 19 19 #4,933
2008 — 17 17 #5,254
2007 — 17 17 #5,218
2006 — 17 17 #5,080
2005 — 22 22 #4,069
2004 — 22 22 #4,013
2003 — 18 18 #4,440
2002 — 10 10 #6,545
2001 — 9 9 #6,958
2000 — 15 15 #4,799
1999 — 10 10 #6,066
1998 5 14 19 #4,665
1997 — 11 11 #5,304
1996 — 6 6 #8,002
1995 — 9 9 #5,944
1994 — 9 9 #5,891
1993 — 10 10 #5,381
1992 — 11 11 #4,892
1991 — 14 14 #4,025
1990 — 9 9 #5,405
1989 — 7 7 #6,260
1988 — 8 8 #5,236
1987 — 7 7 #5,497
1986 — 11 11 #3,908
1985 — 9 9 #4,366
1984 — 11 11 #3,723
1983 — 7 7 #4,936
1981 — 6 6 #5,514
1980 — 5 5 #6,311
1979 — 10 10 #3,833
1978 — 8 8 #4,184
1977 — 6 6 #5,155
1976 — 12 12 #3,112
1975 — 6 6 #4,838
1974 — 9 9 #3,590
1973 — 13 13 #2,737
1971 — 10 10 #3,178
1970 — 13 13 #2,637
1969 — 8 8 #3,345
1968 — 12 12 #2,464
1967 — 7 7 #3,265
1966 — 5 5 #3,999
1964 — 5 5 #4,075
1963 — 7 7 #3,358
1962 — 7 7 #3,343
1961 — 7 7 #3,393
1960 — 10 10 #2,720
1959 — 6 6 #3,657
1958 — 7 7 #3,316
1957 — 7 7 #3,283
1956 — 6 6 #3,568
1955 — 12 12 #2,326
1954 — 15 15 #2,053
1953 — 7 7 #3,177
1952 — 7 7 #3,123
1951 — 10 10 #2,522
1950 — 13 13 #2,129
1949 — 8 8 #2,835
1948 — 15 15 #1,957
1947 — 11 11 #2,375
1946 — 14 14 #1,970
1945 — 12 12 #2,038
1944 — 7 7 #2,894
1943 — 14 14 #2,013
1942 — 10 10 #2,415
1941 — 10 10 #2,366
1940 — 9 9 #2,511
1939 — 12 12 #2,075
1938 — 15 15 #1,840
1937 — 11 11 #2,218
1935 — 11 11 #2,274
1934 — 15 15 #1,882
1933 — 9 9 #2,578
1932 — 13 13 #2,123
1931 — 16 16 #1,862
1930 — 17 17 #1,830
1929 — 8 8 #3,022
1928 — 16 16 #1,987
1927 — 21 21 #1,711
1926 — 15 15 #2,097
1925 — 14 14 #2,218
1924 — 22 22 #1,692
1923 — 15 15 #2,145
1922 — 27 27 #1,446
1921 — 37 37 #1,186
1920 — 18 18 #1,906
1919 — 26 26 #1,423
1918 — 17 17 #1,927
1917 — 19 19 #1,707
1916 — 21 21 #1,567
1915 — 23 23 #1,422
1914 — 20 20 #1,362
1913 — 12 12 #1,607
1912 — 20 20 #1,043
1911 — 8 8 #1,317
1910 — 6 6 #1,471
1900 — 6 6 #1,230
1895 — 5 5 #1,160
1886 — 6 6 #917
1884 — 5 5 #1,049
1881 — 5 5 #994