Given name & surname
Wash
“from the intelligent one's town”
In English use, Wash is a shortened form of Washington. One English interpretation is “from the intelligent one's town.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Wash is a shortened form of Washington. One English interpretation is “from the intelligent one's town.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Wash is a shortened form of Washington. A possible origin is Old English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Wash is a diminutive of Washington.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Wash through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,196
- 1,196 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 31 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1972. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 31 in 1921. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 156 as a first name in 2020; 3,061 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Wash’s family of names
In English usage, Wash is a diminutive of Washington. In English usage, Wash is a shortened form of Washington.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Wash, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Cephas
“as solid as a rock”
>99% boys
Walton
“from the walled town; from the stream town”
>99% boys
Yates
“keeper of the gates”
>99% boys
Warner
“of the defending army”
98% boys · 2% girls
Willis
“will” · “desire”
>99% boys
Wilbert
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Webb
“a weaver”
>99% boys
Wallace
“foreign, Celtic” · “a Welshman; a man from the south”
98% boys · 2% girls