Top Baby Boy Names That Start With W

If you’re looking for boy names starting with W, then we’ve got you covered. From the most popular W boy names to rarer, cool, and international names and more, this list will help inspire you to find the perfect name for your little boy.

Popular Boy Names That Start With W

If you’re not sure where to get started on your search for boys’ names beginning with W, maybe the top 10 W names for boys in the United States in recent years could help you find a great name.

1. William. William comes in at no. 1 for the top W name for boys in the United States and has never been out of the top 20 ranking since 1880. It came from the Germanic name Willahelm, which means “will helmet,” and arrived in Britain with the Normans. Besides the first Norman king of England, William the Conqueror, many others have borne this name, including British kings and princes (such as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge), playwright William Shakespeare, Swiss hero William Tell, and American actor William Shatner.

2. Wyatt. This name comes from an English surname with its roots in the Old English words meaning “battle” and “brave.”

3. Wesley. Wesley means “west meadow” in Old English. It originated as a place name, though it became a surname and is sometimes given as a first name in honor of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. American actor Wesley Snipes is a notable figure with this name.

4. Waylon. This is a variant of the name Wayland, which could have roots in the Germanic word wela, meaning “skilled” or “artful.” Country music singer Waylon Jennings helped to popularize this name.

5. Weston. Like many English surnames that become names, Weston comes from a place name. It means “west” and “enclosure” in Old English. American soccer player Weston McKennie is a notable example of someone with this name.

6. Walker. Walker was a surname that referred to a medieval profession where walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool to clean and thicken it. The meaning of the name comes from the Old English word meaning “to walk.” It became popular in Chuck Norris’s TV series Walker, Texas Ranger.

7. Walter. This Germanic name means “ruler of the army” and came to England with the Normans. English courtier, poet, and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh and Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott bore this name. In popular culture, Walter White in the series Breaking Bad also helped popularize the name.

8. Wade. Wade comes from an English surname with roots in the Old English word meaning “a ford” or “to go.”

9. Warren. Warren comes from an English surname, but since it’s derived from the Norman French word warrene, meaning “animal enclosure,” it also makes a great option for French boy names. The twenty-ninth US President, Warren G. Harding, and American businessman Warren Buffett are famous examples of this name.

10. Winston. Many know the name Winston thanks to British prime minister Winston Churchill. It comes from an English surname that draws from the Old English elements meaning “joy” and “stone.” This name also appeared in George Orwell’s novel 1984 with its protagonist Winston Smith.

Unique Boy Names That Start With W

If it’s a unique baby boy name you want, perhaps one of these rare names that start with W is the right fit for your baby boy. 11. Wael. This Arabic name means “refuge” or “shelter.”

12. Wahunsenacawh. The meaning of this Powhatan name is unknown. It was borne by a seventeenth-century chief of the Powhatan people.

13. Walchelin. As the ancient Germanic form of Vauquelin, which comes from the Germanic element walha, this name means “foreign.”

14. Wasyl. Wasyl is a Ukrainian name from the western part of the country near the Polish border. It’s the Polish form of Vasyl, the Ukrainian word for the name Basil, meaning “king.”

15. Wawrzyniec. This name, pronounced “vav-zhi-nyehts,” is the Polish form of Laurence, which has its roots in the Latin meaning “from Laurentum,” referring to a city in ancient Italy.

16. Wendel. This rare German and Dutch name comes from the Germanic word wandal, meaning “a vandal.” As a tribal name, it may mean “wanderer,” as the Vandals were a nomadic Germanic tribe that invaded Spain and North Africa in the fifth century.

17. Werther. This name comes from the Germanic elements meaning “worthy” and “army.” It’s best known for the title character in Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther.

18. Wessel. This Dutch and Frisian name is a diminutive of Werner, a German name meaning “guard” or “army.”

19. Willibald. Willibald comes from the Germanic elements meaning “will,” “desire,” and “bold.” Saint Willibald was an eighth-century bishop in Bavaria, and baroque composer Christopher Willibald Gluck is another example of someone with this name.

20. Wystan. Wystan is a rare English name from the Old English elements wig, meaning “battle,” and stan, “stone.” It was the name of a ninth-century saint and also the first name of the British poet W.H. Auden.

More Unique Boy Names That Start With W

It can be both fun and overwhelming to choose a baby name. Watch this video to get some exciting facts that could help you find the perfect baby name!

Cool Boy Names That Start With W

Whether you’re looking for a cool W name for boys or something for a boy’s middle name, these monikers that start with the letter W should give you some ideas. They have roots in mythology and originate from around the globe.

31. Walganus. Walganus is a variant of Gualguainus, the Latin name for Gawain, the Arthurian knight who fought the Green Knight.

32. Wallace. This name comes from an English and Scottish surname with roots in the Norman French word waleis, meaning “foreigner,” “Celt,” or “Welshman.” Scottish hero who fought against the English in the thirteenth century, Sir William Wallace, is a notable example of this surname.

33. Wangchuk. Wangchuk means “mighty” in Tibetan and is also the Tibetan name for the god Shiva.

34. Wawatam. Likely meaning “little goose” in Ojibwe, this was the name of an eighteenth-century chief of the Ottawa people.

35. Widukind. This name comes from the Germanic words meaning “wood” and “child.”

36. Wilder. This name comes from the English surname that means “wild,” “untamed,” or “uncontrolled” in Old English. American actor Gene Wilder is an example of someone who had this as a surname.

37. Wilhelm. The German form of William, Wilhelm was the name for two German emperors and the middle name for several German philosophers, like Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz.

38. Wojciech. Wojciech—pronounced “Voi-chekh”—is a Polish name with roots in the Slavic words meaning “warrior” or “soldier” and “solace,” “comfort,” or “joy.”

39. Wolfgang. This German name comes from the Germanic words wulf, meaning “wolf” and gang, “path.” The most famous people with this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

40. Wotan. Wotan is a variant of Wodan, the Germanic name for the Norse god Odin. You might recognize Wotan as the name used by German composer Richard Wagner in his opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Related Articles

Top Baby Names for Boys

More Cool Boy Names That Start With W

International W Boy Names

Try these on for size for some cosmopolitan boy names that start with the letter W! From the Netherlands and Ukraine to Kenya, Bali, and South America, you’ll find some great international names among these W baby boy names. 51. Wacław. This is the Polish form of Václav, which comes from the Slavic elements meaning “more” and “glory.”

52. Wálter. This name is common in South America and the Spanish and Portuguese variant of Walter.

53. Wanyonyi. This name means “born during the weeding season” in Luhya, a language spoken in western Kenya.

54. Wassily. This Russian name is an alternative transcription of Vasiliy, which is the Russian form of Basil, meaning “king.” Russian abstract painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky is a famous bearer of this name.

55. Wattana. Wattana means “development” in Thai.

56. Wayan. Wayan comes from the word wayah, which means “old” or “mature” in Balinese. However, it also relates to the Sanskrit word meaning “energy,” “strength,” and “age,” and is traditionally given to a first-born child.

57. Willem. This is the Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain and the founder of the Dutch royal family, is a famous historical figure with this name. Today, American actor Willem Defoe might be more recognizable!

58. Winoc. This Breton name is a variant of Gwenneg, which combines gwenn, meaning “white,” “fair,” or “blessed,” with a diminutive suffix.

59. Wira. Wira means “hero” in Indonesian and Malay.

60. Wolodymyr. This is an alternative transcription of the Ukrainian name Volodymyr, which comes from the Slavic elements meaning “rule” and “great.”

More International Boy Names Starting With W

Cute Boy Names That Start With W

From nicknames to characters from children’s books and animations, these cute boy names that start with W are sure to put a smile on your face. Maybe one of these W names for boys is the right one for your adorable baby.

71. Waldo. Waldo originates from the Anglo-Scandinavian name Waltheof or the Germanic name meaning “rule.” Today it’s mostly given in honor of the American transcendentalist, poet, and author, Ralph Waldo Emerson. It’s also associated with the Where’s Waldo children’s books.

72. Wally. Wally is the diminutive of Walter or Wallace, which means “ruler of the army” and “foreigner,” “Celt,” and “Welshman,” respectively.

73. Wido. Wido is short for names that begin with the Germanic element witu, meaning “wood” or wit, “wide.”

74. Wilbur. Wilbur comes from the Middle English word for “wild boar” and eventually became a surname. You might recognize the name from E.B. White’s children’s book Charlotte’s Web. Famous Wilburs also include one-half of the Wright brothers, Wilbur Wright, and British-South African writer Wilbur Smith.

75. Wiley. This name comes from a surname derived from English place names, like the towns Willey or the River Wylye.

76. Wilkie. Wilkie comes from the English surname that has its roots in a diminutive of thename William. English novelist Wilkie Collins is a famous example of this name.

77. Wilton. Wilton comes from a surname with roots in several English towns. It could mean “willow town,” “well town,” or “town on the River Wylye” in Old English.

78. Wobbe. This is a variant of the name Wob, a Frisian diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element wald, which means “rule.”

79. Woody. Woody is either a diminutive for Woodrow, a surname that means “row of houses by a wood,” or a nickname formed from the English word wood. Woody was the name of the toy cowboy in Pixar’s Toy Story films.

More Cute Boy Names That Start With W

Short W Names for Boys

Are you looking for short baby names? If so, these boy names starting with W will keep things short and sweet for you!

91. Walt. This is the short form of Walter and became famous with American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney.

92. Wat. Wat is the medieval short form of Walter, which means “ruler of the army.”

93. Wazo. This was originally a short form used for Germanic names beginning with wad, which means “to go” or warin, meaning “guard” or “protect.”

94. Wei. Wei is a transcription from various Chinese characters, so there are several different meanings. It could either mean “power” and “pomp” or “high,” “loft,” and “towering.” It could also mean “great,” “robust,” or “extraordinary.”

95. Wil. This is a short form of William. One notable figure with this name is Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Wil Wheaton.

96. Wilf. Wilf is the adorable short form of Wilfred, an English name meaning “desiring peace.”

97. Wilt. This is the short form of Wilton and was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain.

98. Wim. Wim is the Dutch short form of Willem. It’s perhaps best known for Dutch “Iceman” Wim Hof, the man who made cold showers and ice baths popular.

99. Wu. Wu can mean “military, martial,” or “affairs, business.” It was used by several Chinese rulers, including the emperor Wu of Han, who lived in the second century, expanded the empire, and made Confucianism the state philosophy.

100. Wyot. This is the Middle English form of Wigheard, which means “battle,” “brave,” and “hardy.”

More Short Boy Names That Start With W

Strong and Powerful Boy Names Starting With W

Perhaps you’re looking for powerful boy names in general, or strong boy names beginning with W. Either way, this list should help you find the right one.

111. Waldemar. This is the Germanic derivative of the Slavic name Vladimir—which means “rule,” “great,” and “famous—and came to Scandinavia with the twelfth-century Danish king Waldemar. He was named after a royal ancestor of his Ukrainian mother.

112. Wapasha. Wapasha means “red leaf” in Dakota and was the name of several Dakota chiefs.

113. Warwick. Warwick is the name of a town in England, which means “weir,” “dam,” and “settlement” in Old English. The town name first became a surname and then a given name. Perhaps you recognize this moniker from American actor Warwick Davis.

114. Washington. Washington was the name of an English town, though it’s more famous as the capital of the United States, Washington DC. The town name meant “settlement belonging to Wassa’s people.” It became a surname first, with the most famous example being the first president of the United States, George Washington. Today, it’s also used as a first name.

115. Wayne. Wayne comes from the occupational surname that means “wagon maker,” with its roots in the Old English word meaning “wagon.” It’s a good example of last names used as first names. You might recognize it from actor John Wayne, Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky, or English soccer manager and former player Wayne Rooney.

116. Wenceslaus. This is the medieval Latinized form of Veceslav, with roots in the Slavic words meaning “more” and “glory.” It was used for several Bohemian kings and also the name for Saint Wenceslaus, the subject of the famous Christmas carol, “Good King Wenceslas.”

117. Werner. Werner is a Germanic name with roots in warin, meaning “guard,” and hari, “army.” One of the most famous figures with this name is German physicist Werner Heisenberg.

118. Wickaninnish. This name possibly means “having no one in front of him in the canoe” in Nuu-chah-nulth. Wickaninnish was also the name of a chief of the Clayoquot in the late eighteenth century.

119. Wieland. The meaning of Wieland is uncertain, but it might come from the Germanic element wela, meaning “skilled” or “artful.” It’s a name in Germanic mythology, where Wieland was an unequaled smith and craftsman.

120. Wilfred. Wilfred means “desiring peace” in Old English. It was popular in the period of the Norman Conquest but fell out of fashion until the nineteenth century. English poet Wilfred Owen is a famous example of someone with this name.

More Strong and Powerful Boy Names That Start With W

Even More W Names for Boys

The Bottom Line

Want to keep the baby-naming party going? Then why not go down the alphabet and take a look at boy names that start with X? Or if you’re in the mood to find something more international, then have a look at these Mexican baby names or Hawaiian boy names. For top baby names, have a look at these top 1000 names for boys. No matter where you are in your pregnancy, whether you are just figuring out what your due date is or you’re packing your hospital bag, download the Pampers Club app. You’ll get discounts and rewards for packs of diapers and wipes you purchase!