Wally
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- WAW-lee
- Origin
- Germanic
- US rank, 2025
- #5,606 for boys
Wally is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “ruler of the army”. In 2025 it ranked 5,606th for boys in the US (16 babies).
What does Wally mean?
Germanic: pet form of Walter, sometimes of Wallace
“ruler of the army”
A pet form of Walter or Wallace; Wally Cleaver is the older brother in the sitcom Leave It to Beaver.
Is Wally a girl's or a boy's name?
Wally is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 16 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Wally in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #5,606among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 16about 1 in 110,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 5% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 16 boys in the US were named Wally, making it the 5,606th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,695th. Its busiest year was 1959, with 185 boys. It first appears in the records in 1910.
2025 had more boys named Wally than any year since 2018.
Half of all the boys named Wally in the US since 1880 were born between 1942 and 1966, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1954, 8% of the babies named Wally in the US were girls.
Wally in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | #5,606 |
| 2024 | 14 | #6,194 |
| 2023 | 15 | #5,922 |
| 2022 | 15 | #5,870 |
| 2021 | 10 | #7,582 |
| 2020 | 15 | #5,695 |
| 2019 | 12 | #6,772 |
| 2018 | 16 | #5,536 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5,522 |
| 2016 | 13 | #6,344 |
| 2015 | 12 | #6,671 |
| 2014 | 9 | #8,124 |
| 2013 | 11 | #7,021 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7,044 |
| 2011 | 10 | #7,495 |
| 2010 | 12 | #6,692 |
| 2009 | 10 | #7,687 |
| 2008 | 10 | #7,693 |
| 2007 | 14 | #5,898 |
| 2006 | 19 | #4,671 |
| 2005 | 14 | #5,572 |
| 2004 | 10 | #6,970 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7,824 |
| 2002 | 7 | #8,449 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 10 | #6,309 |
| 1999 | 17 | #4,157 |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,460 |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 7 | #7,129 |
| 1995 | 15 | #4,046 |
| 1994 | 14 | #4,284 |
| 1993 | 15 | #4,013 |
| 1992 | 10 | #5,228 |
| 1991 | 19 | #3,218 |
| 1990 | 13 | #4,161 |
| 1989 | 22 | #2,778 |
| 1988 | 25 | #2,362 |
| 1987 | 24 | #2,329 |
| 1986 | 20 | #2,598 |
| 1985 | 22 | #2,356 |
| 1984 | 17 | #2,705 |
| 1983 | 19 | #2,492 |
| 1982 | 18 | #2,595 |
| 1981 | 28 | #1,941 |
| 1980 | 24 | #2,162 |
| 1979 | 24 | #2,104 |
| 1978 | 29 | #1,794 |
| 1977 | 34 | #1,607 |
| 1976 | 34 | #1,571 |
| 1975 | 41 | #1,361 |
| 1974 | 38 | #1,388 |
| 1973 | 39 | #1,329 |
| 1972 | 35 | #1,441 |
| 1971 | 52 | #1,138 |
| 1970 | 47 | #1,207 |
| 1969 | 48 | #1,124 |
| 1968 | 74 | #844 |
| 1967 | 66 | #885 |
| 1966 | 75 | #844 |
| 1965 | 96 | #753 |
| 1964 | 102 | #758 |
| 1963 | 140 | #658 |
| 1962 | 159 | #611 |
| 1961 | 162 | #622 |
| 1960 | 132 | #682 |
| 1959 | 185 | #574 |
| 1958 | 127 | #674 |
| 1957 | 112 | #708 |
| 1956 | 79 | #839 |
| 1955 | 86 | #785 |
| 1954 | 66 | #907 |
| 1953 | 72 | #847 |
| 1952 | 67 | #849 |
| 1951 | 77 | #802 |
| 1950 | 66 | #835 |
| 1949 | 78 | #778 |
| 1948 | 89 | #707 |
| 1947 | 119 | #631 |
| 1946 | 102 | #635 |
| 1945 | 102 | #599 |
| 1944 | 85 | #674 |
| 1943 | 95 | #655 |
| 1942 | 94 | #665 |
| 1941 | 78 | #694 |
| 1940 | 74 | #702 |
| 1939 | 62 | #770 |
| 1938 | 66 | #752 |
| 1937 | 68 | #737 |
| 1936 | 67 | #736 |
| 1935 | 68 | #741 |
| 1934 | 64 | #771 |
| 1933 | 47 | #905 |
| 1932 | 40 | #1,056 |
| 1931 | 56 | #841 |
| 1930 | 49 | #967 |
| 1929 | 46 | #995 |
| 1928 | 42 | #1,078 |
| 1927 | 39 | #1,145 |
| 1926 | 38 | #1,161 |
| 1925 | 30 | #1,332 |
| 1924 | 26 | #1,492 |
| 1923 | 31 | #1,300 |
| 1922 | 23 | #1,591 |
| 1921 | 23 | #1,588 |
| 1920 | 20 | #1,747 |
| 1919 | 19 | #1,751 |
| 1918 | 17 | #1,904 |
| 1917 | 18 | #1,754 |
| 1916 | 18 | #1,697 |
| 1915 | 7 | #3,081 |
| 1914 | 12 | #1,867 |
| 1913 | 8 | #2,091 |
| 1912 | 9 | #1,745 |
| 1911 | 7 | #1,386 |
| 1910 | 5 | #1,588 |
Names like Wally
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Jerry Billy Bobby Johnny Tommy Gary Rudy Richard William Benny Robert Teddy
Names related to Wally
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Wally: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/wally, updated 20 October 2026.