Wilkes: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,032

among boys · ↓610 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Wilkes · -17% vs 2024

How common

1 in 85,404

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2018

30 babies

All-time total

318

#10,263 all-time among boys

First recorded

1916

in Social Security records

Wilkes popularity over time

318 babies have been named Wilkes since 1916, 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

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	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	12	1	–	#3,883
1920s	21	2	+75%	#3,459
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	11	1	–	#3,725
1950s	5	1	-55%	#4,386
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	5	1	–	#6,836
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	–	–	–	–
2000s	23	2	–	#8,291
2010s	125	13	+443%	#3,701
2020s (to 2025)	116	19	+55%	#4,422

Where Wilkes 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	20	0.01	outside top 500
2027	20	0.01	outside top 500
2028	20	0.01	outside top 500
2029	20	0.01	outside top 500
2030	20	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Wilkes

Wilkes is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,032 in 2025 with 20 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1916, 318 American babies have been named Wilkes. Its peak came in 2018, when 30 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Wilkes stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Wilkes?

The median living Wilkes is about 7 years old; half are between 3 and 11. An estimated 300 people named Wilkes are alive in the United States today.

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

Wilkes year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	20	#5,032
2024	24	#4,422
2023	20	#5,054
2022	17	#5,617
2021	21	#4,769
2020	14	#6,271
2019	18	#5,330
2018	30	#3,701
2017	11	#7,516
2016	16	#5,780
2015	8	#9,513
2014	12	#7,029
2013	8	#9,617
2012	10	#8,117
2011	12	#6,980
2010	–	–
2009	6	#12,410
2008	10	#8,291
2007	–	–
2006	7	#10,611
2005	–	–
2004	–	–
2003	–	–
2002	–	–
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	5	#4,386
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Wilkes?

The median living Wilkes is about 7 years old. Half of all living Wilkess are between 3 and 11 years old.

How many people named Wilkes are alive today?

An estimated 300 people named Wilkes are alive in the United States, based on 318 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Wilkes in 2025?

Wilkes ranked #5,032 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 20 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Wilkes?

318 babies have been named Wilkes in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wilkes most popular?

Wilkes peaked in 2018, when 30 newborns received the name.

Is Wilkes a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Wilkes rising or falling?

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

Will Wilkes become more popular?

Wilkes looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 20 boys named Wilkes in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Wilkes

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

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