Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1940

Wilkie

Gender Unisex · 5% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

From a Scottish diminutive of Wilk, a back-formation from Wilkin.

Rank 2025
–
among boys
Babies in 2025
<5
named Wilkie
How common
–
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1940
61 babies
All-time total
358
#9,901 all-time among boys
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Wilkie popularity over time

358 babies have been named Wilkie since 1914, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s 6 33 39 4 – #2,161
1920s 12 50 62 6 +59% #2,761
1930s – 35 35 4 -44% #2,842
1940s – 143 143 14 +309% #801
1950s – 39 39 4 -73% #3,267
1960s – 24 24 2 -38% #3,043
1970s – 16 16 2 -33% #4,977
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – – – – – –
2000s – – – – – –
2010s – – – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – – – –

The story of Wilkie

Wilkie is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1914, 358 American babies have been named Wilkie, about 95% boys and 5% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1940, when 61 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1940s.

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

How old are people named Wilkie?

The median living Wilkie is about 78 years old; half are between 62 and 84. An estimated 100 people named Wilkie are alive in the United States today.

median 78 020406080100

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

Wilkie year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – – –
2024 – – – –
2023 – – – –
2022 – – – –
2021 – – – –
2020 – – – –
2019 – – – –
2018 – – – –
2017 – – – –
2016 – – – –
2015 – – – –
2014 – – – –
2013 – – – –
2012 – – – –
2011 – – – –
2010 – – – –
2009 – – – –
2008 – – – –
2007 – – – –
2006 – – – –
2005 – – – –
2004 – – – –
2003 – – – –
2002 – – – –
2001 – – – –
2000 – – – –
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – 5 #5,420
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – 6 #3,671
1945 – – 7 #2,990
1940 – – 61 #801
1935 – – 8 #2,941
1930 – – 6 #3,988
1925 5 #5,749 5 #4,846
1920 – – 11 #2,761
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Wilkie

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Wilkie Collins Wilkie Collins English novelist and playwright (1824–1889) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Wilkie?

The median living Wilkie is about 78 years old. Half of all living Wilkies are between 62 and 84 years old.

How many people named Wilkie are alive today?

An estimated 100 people named Wilkie are alive in the United States, based on 358 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Wilkie mean?

From a Scottish diminutive of Wilk, a back-formation from Wilkin.

How popular is the name Wilkie in 2025?

Wilkie did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Wilkie?

358 babies have been named Wilkie in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wilkie most popular?

Wilkie peaked in 1940, when 61 newborns received the name.

Is Wilkie a boy or girl name?

Wilkie is used for both: about 5% of babies named Wilkie have been girls and 95% boys.

Is the name Wilkie rising or falling?

Wilkie has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Wilkie?

Well-known people named Wilkie include Wilkie Collins (writer).

Names like Wilkie

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

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