Wesley, a surname-turned-given-name, was originally used as a place name derived from the Old English elements west, meaning "west," and leah, meaning "meadow" or "clearing." Together, Wesley translates to "western meadow" or "clearing in the west." It has appeared in the Social Security Administration's top-200 every for boy names year since 1900 and peaked in 1977 when it was the 66th most popular boy's name in the United States. Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton and her husband Adam Dirks welcomed a baby boy named Wesley Phillip in 2018.
