Wilson
English surname meaning son of Will, the short form of William, from the Germanic wil, will, and helm, helmet.
Wilson in 2025
Wilson was given to 405 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,365th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 8,186 babies born.
The history of Wilson
Wilson reached its highest point in 1918, when 1,381 babies were given the name, ranking 280th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 49,017 babies have been named Wilson. Half of them were born before 1957, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Wilson by decade
| Decade | Babies named Wilson | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 660 | 339 |
| 1890s | 597 | 510 |
| 1900s | 759 | 556 |
| 1910s | 6,859 | 280 |
| 1920s | 5,056 | 485 |
| 1930s | 3,696 | 576 |
| 1940s | 4,364 | 562 |
| 1950s | 3,383 | 784 |
| 1960s | 2,660 | 962 |
| 1970s | 2,318 | 1,052 |
| 1980s | 2,884 | 1,064 |
| 1990s | 4,190 | 908 |
| 2000s | 4,915 | 978 |
| 2010s | 4,265 | 1,209 |
| 2020s | 2,411 | 1,314 |
Where Wilson is heading
Wilson has fallen 8% over the past decade, from 438 babies in 2015 to 405 in 2025.
Names like Wilson
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Wilson.