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Wesley as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Wesley

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The baby name Wesley is a Boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced WESS-lee.

Wesley is English, Old English in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 2
Origin: English, Old English
Pronunciation: WESS-lee

What is the meaning of the name Wesley ?

The baby name Wesley is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced WESS-lee.

Wesley is English, Old English in Origin.

Wesley is an English given name transferred from a habitational surname, with its linguistic root in Old English. Its earliest recoverable form is Westlēah, a compound of west, the cardinal direction, and lēah, a woodland clearing, pasture, or meadow. In place-name formation, final -t before l could be reduced in later pronunciation and spelling, giving Wesley beside the fuller Westley. The literal sense is therefore western clearing or western meadow.

As a surname, Wesley belonged first to English local naming; as a forename it gained visibility in the eighteenth century through John Wesley, the Anglican cleric who founded Methodism with his brother Charles. The name spread in Protestant English-speaking communities, then became a secular surname-style given name. Westley, Wesly, Weslee, and Brazilian Portuguese Wescley are variant spellings. In the United States it has remained in regular male use since national records began in 1880, with renewed Top 100 standing in the 2020s.

Wesley has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Wesley

Wesley Snipes Actor · Born 1962 · United States Wesley Snipes is an American actor best known for his role as Blade in the Blade film series. He has also starred in movies like White Men Can't Jump and Demolition Man. Born in 1962, Snipes has been a prominent figure in action films. Wesley Clark Actor|politician · Born 1944 · United States Wesley Clark is best known as a retired United States Army officer and former general. Born Wesley J. Kanne on December 23, 1944, he is also known by his full name, Wesley Kanne Clark. Wesley Willis Musician · Born 1963 · United States Wesley Willis was a musician from the United States who became known for his unique and eclectic style. He gained a cult following with songs like 'Rock N Roll McDonald's' and 'Cut the Mullet'. His music often featured humorous and surreal lyrics, making him a memorable figure in the underground music scene.
Wesley Addy Actor · Born 1913 · United States Wesley Addy was an American actor best known for his roles in films like 'Kiss Me Deadly' and 'Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte'. He also appeared in numerous television series and stage productions throughout his career.

Wesley – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2023 #1 — 807
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
BW 0 #19 1 960
NA 0 #26 8 2,537
HT Boys 0 #32 3 903
Canada Boys 2024 #40 534 2,588
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
PR 0 #54 2 1,497
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
United States Boys 2024 #57 5,144 7,044
BR Boys 0 #64 8,639 12,213
AO 0 #73 5 2,729
JP 0 #74 4 4,057
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
CN 0 #80 7 3,857
NL Boys 0 #88 6,071 5,873
JM 0 #90 4 3,714
TW 0 #96 8 4,523
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
PH 0 #103 8 5,607
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
ZA 0 #115 408 14,421
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
MU 0 #127 10 3,613
CY Boys 0 #130 2 3,473
ID Boys 0 #131 5 4,130
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
BN Boys 0 #134 6 6,332
Switzerland Boys 2024 #136 2 1,769
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
BW Boys 0 #139 11 4,685
BR 0 #141 253 5,969
PR Boys 0 #150 25 2,508
TW Boys 0 #157 90 7,111
CR 0 #160 6 5,526
NL 0 #169 262 2,481
NA Boys 0 #171 65 6,830
MT Boys 0 #174 6 4,064
AE 0 #179 9 10,220
Sweden Boys 2018 #185 2 1,584
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
JM Boys 0 #188 86 6,876
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
MO Boys 0 #192 32 5,842
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
AO Boys 0 #199 44 5,568
MU Boys 0 #199 170 8,477
LU Boys 0 #200 19 4,970
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
Belgium Boys 2009 #210 24 415
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
ZA Boys 0 #217 2,984 25,619
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #236 2 7,146
PT Boys 0 #237 144 7,951
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
EC Boys 0 #244 3 3,322
SG 0 #245 25 11,010
PT 0 #246 5 4,161
CN Boys 0 #247 75 9,639
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
NG 0 #255 10 5,926
JP Boys 0 #260 38 7,909
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
Canada Girls 2024 #274 12 2,795
AF Boys 0 #274 1 3,535
France Boys 2021 #280 112 2,865
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
HK Boys 0 #284 323 12,905
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
AL Boys 0 #301 3 5,122
HK 0 #303 46 8,483
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
MY 0 #304 27 12,352
GT 0 #305 10 5,948
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
GH Boys 0 #319 27 8,138
PL Boys 0 #326 10 6,459
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
PH Boys 0 #340 44 11,440
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
UY Boys 0 #386 14 5,922
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
CR Boys 0 #391 97 10,188
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
SG Boys 0 #401 321 17,960
BO 0 #405 4 6,868
GT Boys 0 #428 47 7,625
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
PA Boys 0 #458 24 9,305
SD Boys 0 #462 5 10,523
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
CM Boys 0 #503 48 12,054
CO 0 #504 7 7,768
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Boys 0 #520 7 12,621
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
PS Boys 0 #529 20 10,655
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
CM Girls 0 #557 4 11,671
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
BO Boys 0 #574 19 9,244
BH 0 #581 7 17,937
AE Girls 0 #595 3 20,968
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
CL Boys 0 #619 47 13,390
IL Boys 0 #622 4 10,983
SG Girls 0 #629 4 18,916
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
HK Girls 0 #642 9 16,104
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
Finland Boys 2026 #665 18 3,552
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
QA Boys 0 #691 17 18,093
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
IT 0 #705 10 4,183
NG Boys 0 #706 256 16,906
MY Boys 0 #711 431 25,439
NG Girls 0 #764 23 15,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
PE Boys 0 #794 85 14,506
KW Boys 0 #799 8 18,755
CO Boys 0 #816 105 15,656
United States Girls 2024 #830 87 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #851 80 5,610
TN 0 #857 9 13,765
OM Boys 0 #864 18 17,948
Germany Boys 0 #865 88 5,697
EG Boys 0 #877 10 15,035
BR Girls 0 #887 55 12,708
CL Girls 0 #912 4 14,098
NL Girls 0 #931 25 5,933
MX Boys 0 #946 37 16,355
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,009 2 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,013 2 25,931
IN Boys 0 #1,032 8 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,051 42 22,615
MY Girls 0 #1,065 8 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,109 33 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,144 9 16,140
TR 0 #1,155 57 19,440
DZ 0 #1,166 11 20,130
MA 0 #1,195 5 20,986
IT Boys 0 #1,265 207 10,046
MX Girls 0 #1,266 2 17,781
SA Boys 0 #1,563 52 28,008

Wesley is popular in 80 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
France
Canada
Switzerland
Scotland, United Kingdom

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Wesley

Wesley is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Wesley is a 2 syllable name, pronounced WESS-lee.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Westley, Wesly, Weslee, Wesleigh and Wescley.
Yes, very popular — Wesley ranked #1 in Ireland in 2023, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Wesley ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2023).
Yes — 4 notable people named Wesley are in our database, including Wesley Snipes (Actor), Wesley Clark (Actor|politician), Wesley Willis (Musician).