How popular is the name Wilson?

In 2025, 15 boys born in England and Wales were named Wilson, ranking 1,705th. Its peak was 2017, with 68 births.

Is Wilson a boy's or a girl's name?

Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 49,017 US babies named Wilson since 1880 were boys.

When was Wilson most popular?

1918 in the United States, when 1,381 babies were named Wilson, its highest rank at 122nd.

How do you pronounce Wilson?

Wilson is /ˈwɪlsən/, 2 syllables.

Is Wilson also a surname?

Yes. Wilson is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.

The first name Wilson

A boy’s name.

Pronounced /ˈwɪlsən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

Meaning and origin

From Will (short form of William) + -son.

From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Popularity

Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

In 2025, 15 boys were named Wilson, making it the 1,705th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 68 births (#568).

908

babies named Wilson, 1996–2025

#1,705

rank in 2025

2017

peak year

Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Wilson with other names.

Popularity in the United States

Babies named Wilson at birth, 1880–2025

In 2025, 405 boys born in the United States were named Wilson, the 673rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 1,381 were.

49,017

babies named Wilson since 1880

#673

rank in 2025

1918

peak 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.

Wilson in other languages

Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

ويلسون

Arabic, also ويلسن

Ուիլսոն

Uilson

Armenian

Уи́лсън

Uílsăn

Bulgarian

威爾遜 /威尔逊

Wēi'ěrxùn

Chinese, also 威爾森 /威尔森

უილსონი

uilsoni

Georgian

Γουίλσον

Gouílson

Greek

ווילסון

Hebrew

विल्सन

vilsan

Hindi

ウィルソン

Wiruson

Japanese

윌슨

wilseun

Korean

Уилсон

Uilson

Russian

Вілсон

Vilson

Ukrainian

Spelled Wilson in Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Turkish and Vietnamese too.

Nicknames and spellings

Other spellings and forms

Willson

Famous people named Wilson

64 on Wikidata, most written-about first

Wilson Pickett
American male singer and songwriter (1941-2006)
Wilson da Silva Piazza
Brazilian footballer (born 1943)
Wilson Rodrigues Fonseca
Brazilian association football player, born 1985
Wilson Bethel
American actor, born 1984
Wilson Greatbatch
American engineer and inventor (1919–2011)
Wilson Bentley
American photographer (1867-1931)
Wilson Fittipaldi Júnior
Brazilian racing driver (1943–2024)
Wilson Cruz
American actor, born 1973
Wilson Chandler
American basketball player (born 1987)
William Wilson Morgan
American astronomer (1906–1994)
Wilson Boit Kipketer
Athletics competitor from Kenya, born 1973
Wilson Odobert
French footballer (born 2004)

Questions

What does the name Wilson mean?: From Will (short form of William) + -son.
How popular is the name Wilson?: In 2025, 15 boys born in England and Wales were named Wilson, ranking 1,705th. Its peak was 2017, with 68 births.
Is Wilson a boy's or a girl's name?: Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 49,017 US babies named Wilson since 1880 were boys.
When was Wilson most popular?: 1918 in the United States, when 1,381 babies were named Wilson, its highest rank at 122nd.
How do you pronounce Wilson?: Wilson is /ˈwɪlsən/, 2 syllables.
What are other spellings of Wilson?: Willson.
Is Wilson also a surname?: Yes. Wilson is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.