The first name Wallace
A boy’s name from Norman meaning “foreign”.
Pronounced /ˈwɑləs/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Norman origin
Wallace means “foreign” in Norman.
An Old English byname for a Welshman or Breton, from Anglo-Norman waleis (“foreign”); see wǣlisċ.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 9 boys were named Wallace, making it the 2,440th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 18 births (#1,391).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Wallace with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Wallace at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 241 boys born in the United States were named Wallace, the 964th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1923, when 2,803 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Wallace
- Wal
Famous people named Wallace
65 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Wallace StevensAmerican poet (1879–1955)
- Wallace ShawnAmerican actor and playwright, born 1943
- Wallace BeeryAmerican actor (1885-1949)
- Wallace CarothersAmerican organic chemist (1896–1937)
- William Wallace CampbellAmerican astronomer (1862–1938)
- Wallace StegnerAmerican historian, writer, and environmentalist (1909-1993)
- Wallace SpearmonAmerican sprinter, born 1984
- Wallace ReidAmerican actor (1891–1923)
- Wallace LanghamAmerican actor, born 1965
- Charles Wallace RichmondAmerican ornithologist (1868-1932)
- Wallace HartleyBand leader on the RMS Titanic (1878–1912)
- William Wallace DenslowAmerican illustrator and caricaturist (1856–1915)
Questions
- What does the name Wallace mean?
- Wallace means “foreign” in Norman.
- What is the origin of the name Wallace?
- An Old English byname for a Welshman or Breton, from Anglo-Norman waleis (“foreign”); see wǣlisċ.
- How popular is the name Wallace?
- In 2025, 9 boys born in England and Wales were named Wallace, ranking 2,440th. Its peak was 2021, with 18 births.
- What are nicknames for Wallace?
- Common nicknames for Wallace include Wal.
- Is Wallace a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 83,851 US babies named Wallace since 1880 were boys.
- When was Wallace most popular?
- 1923 in the United States, when 2,803 babies were named Wallace, its highest rank at 69th.
- How do you pronounce Wallace?
- Wallace is /ˈwɑləs/, 2 syllables.
- Is Wallace also a surname?
- Yes. Wallace is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.