Welles
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- WELZ
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #2,940 for boys
Welles is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “dweller by the springs”. In 2025 it ranked 2,940th for boys in the US (42 babies).
What does Welles mean?
English: English surname
“dweller by the springs”
Orson Welles directed and starred in Citizen Kane, often ranked among the greatest films ever made.
Is Welles a girl's or a boy's name?
Welles is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 42 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Welles in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,940among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 42about 1 in 41,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 12% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 42 boys in the US were named Welles, making it the 2,940th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,342nd. Its busiest year was 2021, with 56 boys. It first appears in the records in 1915.
Half of all the boys named Welles in the US since 1880 were born between 2017 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Welles in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | #2,940 |
| 2024 | 32 | #3,522 |
| 2023 | 31 | #3,627 |
| 2022 | 43 | #2,917 |
| 2021 | 56 | #2,409 |
| 2020 | 33 | #3,342 |
| 2019 | 40 | #2,991 |
| 2018 | 46 | #2,673 |
| 2017 | 46 | #2,671 |
| 2016 | 32 | #3,440 |
| 2015 | 19 | #4,888 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5,729 |
| 2013 | 10 | #7,532 |
| 2012 | 10 | #7,553 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 5 | #12,224 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 5 | #3,979 |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 5 | #3,824 |
Names like Welles
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Rhodes Banks Hayes Wilder Saint Wylder Wes Wesson Shepherd Stiles King Atlas
Names related to Welles
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
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, “Welles: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/welles, updated 20 October 2026.