This list includes 69 American boy names that start with W, from “Wade” to “Wynton”. They range from traditional Anglo names to modern and culturally diverse choices, useful for naming, research, or character development.
American boy names that start with W are male given names used in the United States that begin with the letter W. They include familiar staples like “Wade” and distinctive examples such as jazz musician Wynton Marsalis.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Pronunciation, Origin/Meaning, and Notes.
Name: Shows each given name so you can scan options and shortlist favorites for naming or research.
Pronunciation: Provides a simple phonetic guide so you say the name correctly and evaluate sound and flow.
Origin / Meaning: Gives a concise origin and meaning to help you understand cultural roots and semantic appeal.
Notes: Includes usage notes, popularity hints, and notable bearers to help contextualize each name’s US use.
American boy names that start with W
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning/Origin | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| William | WIL-yəm | resolute protector; Old German | — |
| Will | WILL | short form of William; English | — |
| Willie | WILL-ee | diminutive of William; English | — |
| Wilson | WIL-sən | son of Will; English patronymic | — |
| Walter | WAWL-ter | ruler of the army; Old German | — |
| Walt | WAWLT | short form of Walter; English | — |
| Wallace | WOL-iss | foreigner, Welsh/Wallace origin | — |
| Ward | WARD | guardian, watchman; English | — |
| Wardell | WAR-dəl | likely diminutive of Ward; English | — |
| Warner | WAR-ner | army warrior; Old German | — |
| Warren | WAR-en | park keeper, game park; English | — |
| Wayne | WAYN | wagon maker or path; English | — |
| Wade | WAYD | to go; English | — |
| Wayne | WAYN | wagon maker or path; English | — |
| Walker | WAW-ker | one who walks; English occupational | — |
| Walden | WAWl-dən | valley of the Welsh; English | — |
| Waldo | WAL-doh | ruler; Old German | — |
| Walton | WAL-tən | town by the wall; English | — |
| Wardell | WAR-dell | variant of Ward; English | — |
| Warren | WAR-en | park keeper, English | — |
| Washington | WASH-ing-tən | place of washing; English place-name | — |
| Wes | WES | short form of Wesley; English | — |
| Wesley | WES-lee | western meadow; Old English | — |
| West | WEST | west; English directional | — |
| Westen/Weston | WES-tən | town to the west; English toponym | — |
| Westin | WES-tin | variant of Weston; English | — |
| Westley | WES-lee | variant of Wesley; Old English | — |
| Wheeler | WHEEL-er | wagon maker; English occupational | — |
| Whit | WIT | white; English short form | — |
| Whitaker | WHIT-ə-ker | white acre; English surname | — |
| Whitman | WHIT-mən | white man; English surname | — |
| Whitney | WHIT-nee | white island; English surname | — |
| Whitfield | WHIT-feeld | white field; English surname | — |
| Wibert | WIL-bert | will-bright; Old German | — |
| Wiley | WYE-lee | clever; English | — |
| Wiley/Wylie | WYE-lee | chief’s meadow or clever; English/Scottish | — |
| Wilde | WILD | wild; English literary | — |
| Wilbur | WIL-bər | will + fortress; Old German | — |
| Wilbert | WIL-bert | will-bright; Old German | — |
| Wilfred | WIL-fred | desire for peace; Old English/Germanic | — |
| Wilfredo | wil-FREH-doh | variant of Wilfred; Spanish form | — |
| Wilford | WIL-ford | will + ford; Old English | — |
| Wilhelm | WIL-helm | will + helmet; German form of William | — |
| William (rare misspelling) | WIL-yəm | variant/misspelling of William; English | — |
| Willard | WIL-ard | resolute and brave; Old German | — |
| Willie | WILL-ee | diminutive of William; English | — |
| Willy | WIL-ee | diminutive of William; English | — |
| Wilmer | WIL-mer | resolute-famous; Germanic | — |
| Wilton | WIL-tən | will settlement; English | — |
| Winton | WIN-tən | friendly town; English toponym | — |
| Winfield | WIN-feeld | friend’s field; Old English | — |
| Winfred | WIN-fred | friend of peace; Old English | — |
| Winifred (male historical uses rare) | WIN-ə-fred | peaceful friend; Welsh origin | — |
| Winslow | WINZ-loh | hill with a victory; Old English | — |
| Winthrop | WIN-throp | friend’s village; Old English | — |
| Winston | WIN-stən | joy stone; English place-name | — |
| Wolfe/Wolf | WOLF | wolf; Germanic and English | — |
| Wolfgang | WOLF-gang | wolf path; Germanic | — |
| Wolfram | WOLF-ram | wolf raven; Germanic | — |
| Woodrow | WOOD-roh | row of houses by woods; English | — |
| Woodson | WOOD-sən | son of the woods; English patronymic | — |
| Woodrow | WOOD-roh | wood clearing row; English | — |
| Woody | WOOD-ee | from the woods; English diminutive | — |
| Wright | RYT | right, craftsman; English occupational | — |
| Wyatt | WYE-uht | brave in war; English surname | — |
| Waylon | WAY-lən | land by the road; English/modern coinage | — |
| Wycliffe | WY-kliff | white cliff; Old English | — |
| Wynn | WIN | blessed, fair; Welsh | — |
| Wynton | WIN-tən | variant of Winston or Wynn; English | — |
Descriptions
William
Classic and perennially popular in the U.S.; formal William with casual nicknames Will or Bill.
Will
Informal, friendly short form used independently; familiar and approachable name for boys.
Willie
Warm, old-fashioned diminutive still used as a given name; retro and affectionate.
Wilson
Surname-turned-first-name with a sturdy, familiar feel; used across regions in the U.S.
Walter
Traditional, early-20th-century favorite; now less common but still classic and dignified.
Walt
Casual, vintage nickname (think Walt Disney); friendly and down-to-earth.
Wallace
Old-fashioned and literary, used occasionally as a distinguished masculine name.
Ward
Short, strong, slightly vintage name; rare but recognizable in the U.S.
Wardell
Less common, slightly vintage American name with a soft, approachable sound.
Warner
Surname-origin name used as a masculine given name; feels established and slightly formal.
Warren
Mid-century favorite with steady use; familiar and solid American name.
Wayne
Popular mid-20th-century name (e.g., John Wayne); now less common but still recognizable.
Wade
Short, modern-feeling name with a rugged, outdoorsy vibe; commonly used in the U.S.
Wayne
Classic mid-century name, evokes Western Americana and cinematic associations.
Walker
Surname turned given name with active, rugged connotations; popular in some regions.
Walden
Literary and nature-infused thanks to Thoreau; used occasionally as a masculine name.
Waldo
Quirky, vintage name that evokes literary charm; rare but memorable in the U.S.
Walton
Surname-origin given name with a stately, old-English feel; uncommon but grounded.
Wardell
Traditional-sounding, slightly Southern U.S. usage; rare and distinctive.
Warren
Solid mid-century name with steady cultural recognition in America.
Washington
Historic and patriotic given name occasionally used in African American communities.
Wes
Casual, friendly nickname used independently; modern and approachable.
Wesley
Traditional but trendy, used steadily in the U.S.; literary and pastoral associations.
West
One-syllable, modern name with adventurous, nature-forward connotations.
Westen/Weston
Popular surname-as-first-name trend; modern, sporty, and regionally widespread.
Westin
Modern-styled spelling of Weston; contemporary and upbeat, used in recent decades.
Westley
Classic feel with an updated spelling; literary and amiable.
Wheeler
Surnames used as given names; occasional masculine first name with a rustic edge.
Whit
Short, crisp, sometimes used as a nickname for Whitman or Whitney; uncommon as standalone.
Whitaker
Primarily a surname but attested as a male given name in the U.S.; distinctive and formal.
Whitman
Literary resonance (poet Walt Whitman) makes this an artistic, uncommon masculine choice.
Whitney
Historically unisex, once more common for boys; now more often feminine but still attested male usage.
Whitfield
Surnames as given names trend; rarely used but distinctive and traditional-sounding.
Wibert
Rare vintage name with Germanic roots; occasionally attested in U.S. historical records.
Wiley
Energetic, slightly old-fashioned name revived occasionally; friendly and informal.
Wiley/Wylie
Variant spellings used in the U.S.; informal, youthful, and increasingly visible.
Wilde
Surname and literary word-name occasionally used for boys; edgy and uncommon.
Wilbur
Vintage, storybook name (e.g., Charlotte’s Web); seen as quaint and traditional.
Wilbert
Early-20th-century usage, now rare; formal and old-fashioned.
Wilfred
Classic European name with vintage charm; uncommon but dignified in the U.S.
Wilfredo
Spanish-language masculine name used in Hispanic U.S. communities; warm and rhythmic.
Wilford
Rare, old-fashioned American name with a sturdy, rural feel.
Wilhelm
Germanic form occasionally used by families of German heritage in the U.S.
William (rare misspelling)
Uncommon spelling variant sometimes recorded in U.S. records; typically corrected to William.
Willard
Mid-century given name with a retro, gentlemanly tone; rare today.
Willie
Affectionate diminutive still used as a legal given name by some families.
Willy
Casual, playful form of William; used but less common as a formal given name.
Wilmer
Used in Hispanic and Anglo communities; vintage feel with occasional modern use.
Wilton
Old-fashioned, surname-like given name; rare but attested in U.S. records.
Winton
Uncommon, stately-sounding name with vintage British flair; occasionally used in America.
Winfield
Antique-sounding given name with 19th-century U.S. usage; rare today.
Winfred
Masculine form seen historically in U.S. records; vintage and uncommon now.
Winifred (male historical uses rare)
Primarily feminine today but has rare historical masculine attestations; extremely uncommon.
Winslow
Surnames-as-first-names trend example; artistic and somewhat uncommon in the U.S.
Winthrop
Very rare, aristocratic-sounding name with historical U.S. usage.
Winston
Traditional and handsome, used steadily; evokes Winston Churchill and vintage charm.
Wolfe/Wolf
Short, strong, nature-inspired name used occasionally on boys in the U.S.
Wolfgang
Strong German name seen among families with German heritage; rare but notable.
Wolfram
Uncommon Germanic masculine name occasionally found in U.S. records.
Woodrow
Vintage presidential-era name (Woodrow Wilson); nostalgic and historically American.
Woodson
Surname-turned-given-name with natural, Southern U.S. resonance.
Woodrow
Presidential and early-20th-century charm; now rare but recognizable.
Woody
Friendly, folksy diminutive of Woodrow or Wood; retro and informal.
Wright
Primarily a surname but attested as a masculine given name in some U.S. families.
Wyatt
Very popular, modern favorite in the U.S.; rugged, Western feel.
Waylon
Country-music associations; modern Americana name with growing use.
Wycliffe
Rare, literary-sounding historical name occasionally seen in U.S. records.
Wynn
Short Welsh name used in the U.S.; contemporary and concise.
Wynton
Uncommon but familiar due to public figures (e.g., Wynton Marsalis); musical, distinctive.