Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Wilder isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Wilder through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,835
- 8,197 boys · 638 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 978 babies
- 2025
- 786
- #431 for boys · #3,572 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +52%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 92% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 743 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 431 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 54.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 43 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (51). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,715 as a first name in 2020; 29,512 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.
Wilder’s family of names
In English usage, Wilder as a surname has a conventional equivalent in the Russian form Уайлдер.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Wilder
- Wilder PenfieldCanadian neurosurgeon, college football player and coach (1891–1976)
- Wilder CartagenaPeruvian footballerborn 1994
- Wilder VieraParaguayan footballer (born 2002)
- Wilder GuisaoColombian association football playerborn 1991
- Wilder MedinaColombian footballerborn 1981
- Wilder MoraisBrazilian politicianborn 1968
- Wilder D. FosterAmerican politician (1819-1873)
- Wilder ZabalaBolivian footballerborn 1982
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Wilder, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Walker
“walker of the forests” · “one who trods the cloth”
97% boys · 3% girls
Kyler
“an archer”
94% boys · 6% girls
Winston
“of the joy stone; from the friendly town”
99% boys · 1% girls
Iker
“a visitor”
>99% boys
Miller
“one who works at a mill” · “one who works at the mill”
69% boys · 31% girls
Ryker
“a powerful ruler”
98% boys · 2% girls
Karter
“a transporter of merchandise” · “one who transports goods; one who drives a cart”
86% boys · 14% girls
Colter
“a horse herdsman”
>99% boys