Wesley is an English masculine given name that has been in use since the Middle Ages. It means 'western meadow' and was originally used as a surname before becoming popular as a first name in the 19th century. Notable individuals named Wesley include American actor Paul Wesley, British mathematician John Wesley Young, and the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.
The name Wesley appears to have had periods of popularity and decline over the years, with a notable spike in the late 70s and early 80s. Between 1977 and 1983, there were consistently high numbers of babies named Wesley, with a peak of 11 births each year in 1978 and 1980. However, after 1983, the popularity of the name began to decrease significantly, with fewer than 10 births per year recorded until 2000. Since then, the number of babies named Wesley has fluctuated but generally remained relatively low, with a recent increase in popularity in 2022, where there were 7 births recorded. Overall, from 1926 to 2022, there have been a total of 264 babies named Wesley recorded in the annual statistics provided.