Wallace is a name of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "Uallach," which means "foreigner" or "stranger." The name was originally given to individuals who were not born in Scotland but had moved there from elsewhere.
The most famous bearer of the name Wallace is William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish knight who fought against English rule. He is often credited with inspiring the Scottish Wars of Independence and is celebrated as a national hero in Scotland. The character of William Wallace was popularized in the film "Braveheart," directed by Mel Gibson.
The name Wallace has been used consistently throughout history, but it became particularly popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It reached its peak popularity in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s, where it was often given to boys born into Scottish-American families.
Today, Wallace is still used as a given name, but it has become less common than it once was. Despite this, it remains a strong and distinctive choice for parents looking for a unique name with a rich history.
The name Wallace has been given to a total of 582 babies born in the United States between 1898 and 2023, according to the statistics provided.
Over this period of over a century, the popularity of the name Wallace has varied greatly. The name was given to at least five babies annually between 1898 and 1959, with peaks in popularity during the early 1900s and again in the late 1960s.
However, after 1977, there was a significant decrease in the number of babies named Wallace. Between 1977 and 2000, only five births were recorded each year on average. This trend continued until 2013 when six babies were named Wallace at birth.
Since then, however, there has been an increase in the popularity of the name Wallace again. In fact, the years with the highest number of births for this name have occurred recently: nine births in both 2016 and 2020, followed by twelve births in 2019.
This data shows that while the name Wallace may not be one of the most popular choices today, it has a rich history and continues to be given to babies born in the United States even now. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues and whether the name Wallace sees another surge in popularity in the coming years.