How Many People Are Named West?
An estimated 2,435 people in the United States have the first name West. It is predominantly male (99.4%). The average bearer is 26 years old, and West peaked in popularity in 2024 with 151 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of West as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name West paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
2,435
About 1 in 140,762 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
99.4% confidence
Average Age
26
years old
Peak Year
2024
151 births
Total Registered
3,550
since 1880
Gender Distribution for West
West is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 3,550 total births registered, 99.4% were male.
West as a male name
Ranked #1,338 in 2024
143 male births in 2024
Peak: 2024 (143 births)
West as a female name
Ranked #12,042 in 2024
8 female births in 2024
Peak: 2024 (8 births)
West: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for West span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 738 babies were registered. While West is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
West by Decade
How has West tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
West by State
Birth registrations for West span all 18 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Mississippi. The lowest are in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon. On average, about 47 Wests were registered per state.
West + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with West as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to West
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
West: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named West?
We estimate approximately 2,435 people named West are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 140,762 Americans share this first name.
Is West a common name?
West is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 94.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,550 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was West most popular?
West reached peak popularity in 2024, when 151 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named West is approximately 26 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is West a male name?
West is predominantly male. 99.4% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many West Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: West Smith, West Johnson, West Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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