Fun Facts About the Name Wells
- More than 7 thousand babies named Wells: U.S. records list 7,159 babies given the name Wells from 1880 through 2025. Even 175 girls received the name Wells - about 1 girl for every 40 boys.
What Does the Name Wells Mean?
Wells is an English surname used as a given name. It comes from Old English wella (also wiella), meaning "spring" or "stream," with the ending -s marking either a plural or a possessive. The usual sense is "dweller at the spring" or "springs." As a surname, it was topographic, given to someone who lived near a spring or stream, or habitational, given to someone from a place named Wells. The place-name element is the same: places such as Wells in Somerset are named from the springs or streams there. The modern given name is a transferred use of the surname rather than a separate Old English personal name.
Wells Name History & Origins
Old English wella appears in place names and bynames across England. In Middle English, the word became welle, and the plural or possessive -s produced surnames such as Wells and Welles. A person living by a spring could be recorded with a surname derived from welle; the same element formed habitational surnames for people from places named Wells. The surname is found in medieval English records, and the place-name Wells in Somerset is associated with the springs that gave the town its name. When Wells began to be used as a first name, it followed the English habit of turning surnames into given names. The given name therefore carries the surname's topographic meaning rather than the history of a saint or a pre-Conquest personal name.
How Popular is the Name Wells?
Wells recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #347 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,865 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #8,897 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #6,655 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #7,602 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #6,946 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2020 | #10,202 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #6,685 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #8,579 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #10,647 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #9,392 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #14,399 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #14,483 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #16,422 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #19,443 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #16,883 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #16,511 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #347 | 944 | 0.0553% |
| 2024 | #376 | 865 | 0.0504% |
| 2023 | #447 | 696 | 0.0407% |
| 2022 | #467 | 659 | 0.0378% |
| 2021 | #481 | 621 | 0.0355% |
| 2020 | #545 | 521 | 0.0302% |
| 2019 | #628 | 432 | 0.0241% |
| 2018 | #730 | 327 | 0.0180% |
| 2017 | #916 | 233 | 0.0126% |
| 2016 | #1,420 | 123 | 0.0065% |
| 2015 | #1,738 | 89 | 0.0046% |
| 2014 | #1,726 | 88 | 0.0046% |
| 2013 | #2,203 | 60 | 0.0032% |
| 2012 | #2,485 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2011 | #3,109 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2010 | #3,447 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2009 | #5,088 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #5,480 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #5,423 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #5,293 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #4,191 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #4,126 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #4,605 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #7,017 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #7,501 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #5,033 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #6,511 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #4,861 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #5,632 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #8,967 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #6,389 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #6,349 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #5,757 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #5,222 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #4,218 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #5,799 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #6,909 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #5,730 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #6,072 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #4,121 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #4,680 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #3,914 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #5,463 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #6,241 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #7,266 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #4,058 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #4,542 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #5,824 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #3,257 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1975 | #5,443 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #3,828 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #2,854 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #3,363 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #2,734 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1969 | #3,586 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #2,570 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #3,548 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #4,523 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,574 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #3,639 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,630 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,647 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #2,866 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,977 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,553 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #3,544 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,928 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #2,428 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1954 | #2,113 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1953 | #3,414 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #3,363 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #2,660 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,204 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1949 | #3,008 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #2,023 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1947 | #2,495 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1946 | #2,028 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1945 | #2,127 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1944 | #3,100 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1943 | #2,070 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1942 | #2,516 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #2,486 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1940 | #2,665 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1939 | #2,154 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1938 | #1,894 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1937 | #2,327 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1935 | #2,392 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1934 | #1,930 | 15 | 0.0015% |
| 1933 | #2,732 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1932 | #2,188 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1931 | #1,924 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1930 | #1,886 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #3,242 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #2,044 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1927 | #1,747 | 21 | 0.0019% |
| 1926 | #2,180 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1925 | #2,312 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1924 | #1,723 | 22 | 0.0019% |
| 1923 | #2,218 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1922 | #1,467 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1921 | #1,197 | 37 | 0.0034% |
| 1920 | #1,961 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1919 | #1,448 | 26 | 0.0027% |
| 1918 | #1,994 | 17 | 0.0017% |
| 1917 | #1,753 | 19 | 0.0021% |
| 1916 | #1,591 | 21 | 0.0024% |
| 1915 | #1,452 | 23 | 0.0027% |
| 1914 | #1,385 | 20 | 0.0031% |
| 1913 | #1,672 | 12 | 0.0023% |
| 1912 | #1,057 | 20 | 0.0047% |
| 1911 | #1,382 | 8 | 0.0035% |
| 1910 | #1,585 | 6 | 0.0031% |
| 1900 | #1,298 | 6 | 0.0040% |
| 1895 | #1,234 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1886 | #958 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1884 | #1,119 | 5 | 0.0044% |
| 1881 | #991 | 5 | 0.0050% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Wells Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Wells's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Wells's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.