The first name Wells
A boy’s name from English meaning “spring”.
Pronounced /wɛlz/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Wells means “spring” in English.
From Old English wella, genitive plural of well (“spring”), in reference to a residence near a group of springs. The original use of the genitive case here would've indicated origin. The -s ending of the modern form would be added later on upon reanalysis after the breakdown of the case system (outside of pronouns) that occurred in the development of English.
More names that mean water.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Wells last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2023, with 4 births (#4,107).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Wells with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Wells at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 944 boys born in the United States were named Wells, the 347th most popular boys’ name that year.
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
Other spellings and forms
- Wels
Famous people named Wells
4 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Junior WellsAmerican Chicago blues vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist (1934–1998)
- Wells CoatesCanadian architect (1895–1958)
- Phil WoodsAmerican jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer (1931–2015)
- Andrew VanWyngardenAmerican musician (born 1983)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Wells mean?
- Wells means “spring” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Wells?
- From Old English wella, genitive plural of well (“spring”), in reference to a residence near a group of springs. The original use of the genitive case here would've indicated origin. The -s ending of the modern form would be added later on upon reanalysis after the breakdown of the case system…
- How popular is the name Wells?
- In 2024, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Wells, ranking 5,119th. Its peak was 2023, with 4 births.
- Is Wells a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 7,164 US babies named Wells since 1880 were boys.
- When was Wells most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 944 babies were named Wells, its highest rank at 347th.
- How do you pronounce Wells?
- Wells is /wɛlz/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Wells?
- Wels.
- Is Wells also a surname?
- Yes. Wells is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.