boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Wolfgang

Meaning wolf Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,519 Trend → Stable

Borrowed from German Wolfgang (reinforced by Medieval Latin Wolfgangus), from Middle High German Wolfgang, from Old High German Wolfgang, from wolf (“wolf”) + gang…

Rank 2025
#1,519
among boys · ↑20 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
115
named Wolfgang
How common
1 in 14,853
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
148 babies
All-time total
3,220
#2,413 all-time among boys
First recorded
1929
in Social Security records

Wolfgang popularity over time

3,220 babies have been named Wolfgang since 1929, 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 2021Boys

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 – – – –
1920s 8 1 – #3,246
1930s 19 2 +137% #3,357
1940s 5 1 -74% #4,200
1950s 102 10 +1940% #2,110
1960s 120 12 +18% #2,117
1970s 104 10 -13% #1,742
1980s 98 10 -6% #3,075
1990s 468 47 +378% #1,470
2000s 508 51 +9% #1,956
2010s 1,002 100 +97% #1,282
2020s (to 2025) 786 131 +31% #1,288

Where Wolfgang 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 114 0.07 outside top 500
2027 113 0.07 outside top 500
2028 112 0.07 outside top 500
2029 111 0.07 outside top 500
2030 111 0.06 outside top 500

Where Wolfgang is most popular

Boys named Wolfgang per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.076 per 1,000. Strongest in California, Illinois, and New York.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Wolfgang born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
California 107 0.117 +55%
Illinois 29 0.113 +50%
New York 44 0.102 +34%
Washington 16 0.098 +29%
Wisconsin 10 0.084 +11%
Oregon 5 0.066 -13%
Michigan 13 0.063 -16%
Florida 29 0.061 -19%
Ohio 16 0.060 -20%
Utah 5 0.052 -31%
Texas 46 0.052 -31%
Massachusetts 7 0.051 -33%
North Carolina 11 0.043 -43%
Arizona 7 0.043 -43%
Virginia 5 0.026 -65%
New Jersey 5 0.025 -67%
Georgia 5 0.020 -74%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Wolfgang

Wolfgang is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,519 in 2025 with 115 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1929, 3,220 American babies have been named Wolfgang. Its peak came in 2021, when 148 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 Wolfgang stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Wolfgang?

The median living Wolfgang is about 12 years old; half are between 5 and 26. An estimated 3,100 people named Wolfgang are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

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

Wolfgang year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 115 #1,519
2024 115 #1,539
2023 145 #1,322
2022 131 #1,413
2021 148 #1,288
2020 132 #1,352
2019 146 #1,282
2018 126 #1,400
2017 117 #1,458
2016 119 #1,455
2015 113 #1,480
2014 93 #1,669
2013 68 #2,019
2012 67 #2,065
2011 84 #1,754
2010 69 #2,009
2009 64 #2,142
2008 50 #2,540
2007 38 #3,087
2006 48 #2,541
2005 52 #2,295
2004 50 #2,312
2003 49 #2,236
2002 50 #2,152
2001 56 #1,956
2000 51 #2,012
1995 59 #1,587
1990 16 #3,773
1985 11 #4,042
1980 6 #6,225
1975 13 #3,072
1970 26 #1,742
1965 11 #2,615
1960 16 #2,117
1955 10 #2,760
1950 6 #3,673
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 6 #3,633
1930 6 #3,997
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Wolfgang

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

  1. 1 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer and musician (1756–1791) 18th century
  2. 2 Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen German filmmaker (1941–2022) Contemporary
  3. 3 Wolfgang Pauli Wolfgang Pauli Austrian physicist (1900–1958) Contemporary
  4. 4 Wolfgang Reitherman Film director, Germany 1909–1985 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Wolfgang von Trips Wolfgang von Trips German racing driver (1928–1961) Contemporary
  6. 6 Wolfgang Overath Wolfgang Overath German footballer b. 1943 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Wolfgang Schäuble Wolfgang Schäuble German politician (1942–2023) Contemporary
  8. 8 Wolfgang Kapp Wolfgang Kapp German political activist (1858–1922) 19th century
  9. 9 Wolfgang Lotz Wolfgang Lotz Israeli spy (1921–1993) Contemporary
  10. 10 Wolfgang von Kempelen Wolfgang von Kempelen Hungarian author and inventor (1734–1804) 18th century
  11. 11 Wolfgang Weber Wolfgang Weber German footballer (born 1944) Contemporary
  12. 12 Wolfgang Larrazábal Wolfgang Larrazábal President of Venezuela in 1958 1911–2003 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Wolfgang Köhler Wolfgang Köhler German-American psychologist and phenomenologist 1887–1967 · 19th century
  14. 14 Wolfgang Ketterle Physicist, Germany b. 1957 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Wolfgang Lüth Wolfgang Lüth German naval officer and U-boat commander during World War II 1913–1945 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Wolfgang Wagner Wolfgang Wagner 20th and 21st-century German director of the Bayreuth Theatre 1919–2010 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Wolfgang Paul Wolfgang Paul German physicist (1913–1993) Contemporary
  18. 18 Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken Count (1526–1569) 16th century
  19. 19 Wolfgang Schüssel Wolfgang Schüssel Chancellor of Austria from 2000 to 2007 b. 1945 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Wolfgang of Regensburg Religious figure, Germany 924–994 · Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Wolfgang?

The median living Wolfgang is about 12 years old. Half of all living Wolfgangs are between 5 and 26 years old.

How many people named Wolfgang are alive today?

An estimated 3,100 people named Wolfgang are alive in the United States, based on 3,220 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Wolfgang mean?

Borrowed from German Wolfgang (reinforced by Medieval Latin Wolfgangus), from Middle High German Wolfgang, from Old High German Wolfgang, from wolf (“wolf”) + gang (“path, course”).

How popular is the name Wolfgang in 2025?

Wolfgang ranked #1,519 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 115 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Wolfgang?

3,220 babies have been named Wolfgang in the United States since 1929, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wolfgang most popular?

Wolfgang peaked in 2021, when 148 newborns received the name.

Is Wolfgang a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Wolfgang rising or falling?

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

Will Wolfgang become more popular?

Wolfgang looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 111 boys named Wolfgang in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Wolfgang?

Well-known people named Wolfgang include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (composer), Wolfgang Petersen (film director), Wolfgang Pauli (physicist).

Names like Wolfgang

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

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