Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2023

Wayland

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,301 Trend ↑ Rising 41%

Wayland is a Germanic given name and a surname originating with Wayland the Smith, a legendary master blacksmith in Norse and Germanic mythology.

Rank 2025
#2,301
among boys · ↑855 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
61
named Wayland · +56% vs 2024
How common
1 in 28,001
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2023
64 babies
All-time total
4,220
#2,007 all-time among boys
First recorded
1884
in Social Security records

Wayland popularity over time

4,220 babies have been named Wayland since 1884, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1912Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 18 2 – #874
1890s 10 1 -44% #1,118
1900s 13 1 +30% #1,214
1910s 311 31 +2292% #782
1920s 482 48 +55% #881
1930s 462 46 -4% #859
1940s 479 48 +4% #840
1950s 395 40 -18% #917
1960s 390 39 -1% #1,095
1970s 433 43 +11% #1,164
1980s 264 26 -39% #1,568
1990s 208 21 -21% #2,466
2000s 157 16 -25% #4,409
2010s 309 31 +97% #2,669
2020s (to 2025) 289 48 +56% #2,242

Where Wayland is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 64 0.04 outside top 500
2027 66 0.04 outside top 500
2028 68 0.04 outside top 500
2029 69 0.04 outside top 500
2030 71 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Wayland

Wayland is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,301 in 2025 with 61 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1884, 4,220 American babies have been named Wayland. Its peak came in 2023, when 64 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Wayland stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Wayland?

The median living Wayland is about 47 years old; half are between 18 and 65. An estimated 2,500 people named Wayland are alive in the United States today.

median 47 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Wayland year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 61 #2,301
2024 39 #3,156
2023 64 #2,242
2022 47 #2,790
2021 50 #2,618
2020 28 #3,806
2019 47 #2,733
2018 47 #2,669
2017 33 #3,435
2016 41 #2,932
2015 39 #3,020
2014 33 #3,364
2013 14 #6,225
2012 28 #3,800
2011 15 #5,929
2010 12 #7,063
2009 20 #4,911
2008 13 #6,742
2007 22 #4,482
2006 20 #4,668
2005 12 #6,614
2004 20 #4,409
2003 13 #5,868
2002 9 #7,614
2001 11 #6,425
2000 17 #4,563
1995 16 #4,044
1990 20 #3,162
1985 22 #2,423
1980 39 #1,568
1975 38 #1,453
1970 49 #1,191
1965 30 #1,428
1960 44 #1,191
1955 31 #1,395
1950 32 #1,288
1945 31 #1,203
1940 57 #840
1935 48 #922
1930 38 #1,150
1925 59 #881
1920 39 #1,153
1915 34 #1,123
1910 9 #1,189
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Wayland, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Wayland?

The median living Wayland is about 47 years old. Half of all living Waylands are between 18 and 65 years old.

How many people named Wayland are alive today?

An estimated 2,500 people named Wayland are alive in the United States, based on 4,220 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Wayland mean?

Wayland is a Germanic given name and a surname originating with Wayland the Smith, a legendary master blacksmith in Norse and Germanic mythology.

How popular is the name Wayland in 2025?

Wayland ranked #2,301 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 61 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Wayland?

4,220 babies have been named Wayland in the United States since 1884, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wayland most popular?

Wayland peaked in 2023, when 64 newborns received the name.

Is Wayland a boy or girl name?

Wayland is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Wayland rising or falling?

Wayland is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Wayland become more popular?

Wayland is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 71 boys named Wayland in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Wayland

Names that sound and feel close to Wayland: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Wayland with similar names → More names starting with W →