Given name & surname
West
“from the western town”
West is a variant of Weston. One English interpretation is “from the western town.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
West is a variant of Weston. One English interpretation is “from the western town.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
West is a variant of Weston. An origin associated with Weston is English.
Explained through its name family
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
West through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,720
- 3,692 boys · 28 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 167 babies
- 2025
- 167
- #1,255 for boys · #11,866 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +52%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 159 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,255 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 47.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 8 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (27). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,276 as a first name in 2020; 189,360 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.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named West
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love West, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Wells
“from the springs”
98% boys · 2% girls
Wesley
“from the western meadow”
98% boys · 2% girls
Truett
Truett is a masculine given name.
98% boys · 2% girls
Jett
“resembling the jet-black lustrous gemstone”
98% boys · 2% girls
Saint
“a holy man”
98% boys · 2% girls
Winston
“of the joy stone; from the friendly town”
99% boys · 1% girls
Eiden
>99% boys
Moshe
“to give birth to”
>99% boys