Unisex
Ellington
English place-name and surname
“Ellis' town”
Unisex · Scottish, German, English
Wiley
“resolute protection; from Wylye; clearing of willows”
Say it WY-leePronunciation may vary by region.
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A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
Meet Wiley.
Alternatively, Wiley may be considered a surname-style name, ultimately derived from two English places: Willey (meaning "clearing of willows") or Wylye (the name of a river, meaning "tricky").
Additionally, it may be considered a word-adjacent choice, associated with intelligence, sass, and trickery, owing to its similarity to wily. This may endear the name to some, but may put others off.
The name was in the US Top 500 up until the 50s when it began to decline in use, possibly thanks to the rise of the Looney Tunes character, Wile E. Coyote. In more recent years, it has seen more use, with 180 boys (and 23 girls) receiving the name in the latest count.
A little perspective
How popular is Wiley?
Girls · 2025#5,54523 recorded births
Boys · 2025#1,226165 recorded births
Recorded US births over time
● Girls● Boys
View the numbers behind the chart
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | 1,226 | 165 |
| 2025 | Girls | 5,545 | 23 |
| 2024 | Boys | 1,159 | 181 |
| 2024 | Girls | 5,600 | 23 |
| 2023 | Boys | 1,136 | 186 |
| 2023 | Girls | 4,448 | 32 |
| 2022 | Boys | 1,155 | 179 |
| 2022 | Girls | 4,787 | 29 |
| 2021 | Boys | 1,080 | 197 |
| 2021 | Girls | 5,228 | 25 |
| 2020 | Boys | 1,165 | 166 |
| 2020 | Girls | 5,839 | 21 |
| 2019 | Boys | 1,217 | 157 |
| 2019 | Girls | 7,319 | 16 |
| 2018 | Boys | 1,450 | 121 |
| 2018 | Girls | 9,778 | 11 |
| 2017 | Boys | 1,428 | 122 |
| 2017 | Girls | 6,030 | 21 |
| 2016 | Boys | 1,397 | 126 |
| 2016 | Girls | 12,818 | 8 |
| 2015 | Boys | 1,316 | 135 |
| 2015 | Girls | 7,987 | 15 |
| 2014 | Boys | 1,412 | 120 |
| 2014 | Girls | 10,917 | 10 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
A few ways to make it theirs.
Nicknames
No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.
Variations & related forms
We haven’t added verified variations for this spelling yet.
Keep the possibilities coming
If you love Wiley…
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