Wayne
English occupational surname for a wagon maker or driver, from the Old English waegn, wagon. Its use as a first name follows the actor John Wayne.
Wayne in 2025
Wayne was given to 422 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,326th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 7,856 babies born.
The history of Wayne
Wayne reached its highest point in 1947, when 10,202 babies were given the name, ranking 65th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 356,422 babies have been named Wayne. Half of them were born before 1952, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Wayne by decade
| Decade | Babies named Wayne | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 283 | 580 |
| 1890s | 509 | 591 |
| 1900s | 1,158 | 405 |
| 1910s | 11,698 | 211 |
| 1920s | 26,634 | 161 |
| 1930s | 41,378 | 77 |
| 1940s | 75,337 | 65 |
| 1950s | 88,366 | 72 |
| 1960s | 54,984 | 122 |
| 1970s | 24,782 | 179 |
| 1980s | 14,886 | 299 |
| 1990s | 7,507 | 488 |
| 2000s | 3,719 | 1,076 |
| 2010s | 3,052 | 1,517 |
| 2020s | 2,129 | 1,326 |
Where Wayne is heading
Wayne has risen 30% over the past decade, from 325 babies in 2015 to 422 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Wayne is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Wayne
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Wayne.