American Names that Start with W

Here is a list of American names that start with W. The page includes American names for boys and girls from different eras, as well as last names.

The list is divided into multiple sections. The first names in this randomizer come from the official site of the Social Security Administration of the United States. Modern names are those popular today, while traditional names were popular throughout the 1900s. Some names appear in both eras. The surnames in this list are the 10,000 most common surnames in America in the U.S. Census.

All of the names also appear in my Random U.S. Name Generator.

Traditional Male American Names that Start with W
Modern Male American Names that Start with W
Traditional Female American Names that Start with W
Modern Female American Names that Start with W
American Last Names that Start with W
Why Are American Names Starting with W So Rare?

As the names come from official statistics, they represent several different ethnicities. I decided to keep the statistics as they are instead of filtering out names with different backgrounds. Because of this, some first and last name combinations may seem very unlikely.

Popular American Male Baby Names Beginning with W from 1900s

Wallace
Walter
Warren
Wayne
Wendell
Wesley
Wilbert
Wilbur
Wilfred
Will
Willard
William
Willie
Willis
Wilson
Woodrow
Wyatt

Popular Male American Names that Start with W from Today

Wesley
Weston
William
Wyatt

American Girl Names Beginning with W (1900s)

Wanda
Wendy
Whitney
Willie
Wilma
Winifred

American Girl Names Beginning with W (2000s)

Willow

American Last Names with Letter W

Wachter
Wacker
Waddell
Waddle
Wade
Wadley
Wadsworth
Wager
Wagers
Wages
Waggoner
Wagner
Wagoner
Wahl
Waid
Wainwright
Waite
Waiters
Waites
Waits
Wakefield
Walcott
Walczak
Wald
Walden
Waldman
Waldo
Waldon
Waldron
Waldrop
Wales
Walk
Walker
Wall
Wallace
Wallen
Waller
Walley
Wallin
Walling
Wallis
Walls
Walsh
Walston
Walter
Walters
Walther
Waltman
Walton
Waltz
Walz
Wampler
Wamsley
Wan
Wang
Wanner
Ward
Wardell
Warden
Wardlaw
Ware
Warfield
Wargo
Waring
Warner
Warnick
Warnock
Warr
Warren
Warrick
Warrington
Warwick
Wash
Washburn
Washington
Wasserman
Wasson
Watanabe
Waterhouse
Waterman
Waters
Watford
Wathen
Watkins
Watson
Watt
Watters
Watterson
Watts
Waugh
Way
Wayman
Wayne
Weakley
Wear
Weatherford
Weatherly
Weathers
Weathersby
Weatherspoon
Weaver
Webb
Webber
Weber
Webster
Weddle
Weed
Weeden
Weekley
Weeks
Weems
Weese
Wegner
Wehner
Wei
Weidman
Weidner
Weigand
Weigel
Weil
Weiland
Weiler
Weimer
Weinberg
Weinberger
Weiner
Weinstein
Weintraub
Weir
Weis
Weise
Weiser
Weisman
Weiss
Weissman
Weitzel
Welborn
Welch
Weldon
Welker
Weller
Welling
Wellington
Wellman
Wells
Welsh
Welter
Welton
Welty
Wen
Wendel
Wendell
Wendling
Wendt
Weng
Wenger
Wentworth
Wentz
Wentzel
Wenzel
Werner
Wert
Werth
Wertz
Wescott
Wesley
Wessel
Wessels
Wesson
West
Westbrook
Westcott
Wester
Westerfield
Westerman
Westfall
Westmoreland
Weston
Westover
Westphal
Wethington
Wetzel
Wexler
Whalen
Whaley
Wharton
Whatley
Wheat
Wheatley
Wheaton
Wheeler
Wheelock
Whelan
Whetstone
Whipple
Whisenant
Whisenhunt
Whitacre
Whitaker
Whitcomb
White
Whited
Whitehead
Whitehouse
Whitehurst
Whiteley
Whiteman
Whitener
Whitesell
Whiteside
Whitfield
Whitford
Whiting
Whitley
Whitlock
Whitlow
Whitman
Whitmer
Whitmire
Whitmore
Whitney
Whitson
Whitt
Whittaker
Whitted
Whittemore
Whitten
Whittington
Whittle
Whitton
Whitworth
Whyte
Wick
Wicker
Wickham
Wickman
Wicks
Wideman
Widener
Widmer
Widner
Wiebe
Wieczorek
Wiegand
Wieland
Wiener
Wiese
Wiest
Wiggins
Wiggs
Wight
Wightman
Wilbanks
Wilber
Wilborn
Wilbur
Wilburn
Wilcher
Wilcox
Wild
Wilde
Wilder
Wildman
Wiles
Wiley
Wilfong
Wilhelm
Wilhite
Wilk
Wilke
Wilken
Wilkens
Wilkerson
Wilkes
Wilkey
Wilkie
Wilkins
Wilkinson
Wilks
Will
Willard
Wille
Willett
Willette
Willey
Willhite
William
Williams
Williamson
Willie
Williford
Willingham
Willis
Willman
Willoughby
Wills
Willson
Wilmot
Wilmoth
Wilson
Wilt
Wimberly
Wimer
Wimmer
Winans
Winchell
Winchester
Winder
Windham
Windsor
Wine
Wines
Winfield
Winfrey
Wing
Wingard
Wingate
Winger
Wingert
Wingfield
Wingo
Winkelman
Winkle
Winkler
Winn
Winner
Winslow
Winstead
Winston
Winter
Winters
Winton
Wirth
Wirtz
Wisdom
Wise
Wiseman
Wiser
Wisner
Wisniewski
Witcher
Witham
Withers
Witherspoon
Withrow
Witkowski
Witmer
Witt
Witte
Witter
Wittman
Wofford
Wojciechowski
Wojcik
Wolcott
Wold
Wolf
Wolfe
Wolff
Wolford
Wolfson
Wolter
Wolters
Wolverton
Womack
Womble
Won
Wong
Woo
Wood
Woodall
Woodard
Woodbury
Woodcock
Wooden
Woodford
Woodhouse
Woodland
Woodley
Woodman
Woodring
Woodruff
Woodrum
Woods
Woodside
Woodson
Woodward
Woodworth
Woody
Woolard
Wooldridge
Wooley
Woolf
Woolfolk
Woolley
Woolsey
Woosley
Wooten
Word
Worden
Work
Workman
Worley
Worrell
Worsham
Worth
Wortham
Worthen
Worthington
Worthy
Wortman
Wozniak
Wray
Wren
Wrenn
Wright
Wrobel
Wroblewski
Wu
Wulf
Wunderlich
Wyant
Wyatt
Wyche
Wyckoff
Wylie
Wyman
Wynn
Wynne
Wyrick
Wysocki

Why Are American Names Starting with W So Rare?

American first names beginning with W are relatively uncommon today. Most traditional W-names (such as Walter, Wilfred, and Wanda) were popular in the early 20th century but now feel dated.

W-surnames, however, are much more common because they come from long-standing English, German, and other European family names (like Wilson, Wright, or Wagner). Surnames are inherited and stable over time, but first names change with fashion, making W far more visible in last names.

About This List

I have made similar lists of American names for all the letters of the alphabet from A to Z:

About Arimo Travels

My website, Arimo Travels, mostly focuses on sustainable travel, although I also write about other topics related to cultures and randomness. Besides a random American name generator, I’ve created almost 100 other random generators, including several for U.S. places such as cities, counties, and states.

I’ve taken two trips around the world, and I visited the United States on both. On the first trip, it took me 18 days to reach the U.S. by cargo ship across the Pacific. On the second trip, I traveled across the country by Amtrak.

You can find all my content about the United States here.