The Wesley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 23,135 people carried this name — #1,555 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,800 people counted. That is up 6% from 21,734 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Wesley surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

Several places in England, from Old English west (“west”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Wesley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Westley’.

An early record he cites: William de Westle, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 802 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

102 people named Wesley is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 102

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Wesley in American newspapers,
1903–1904.

Newspaper page from The Comet carrying the name Wesley
The Comet 1903-03-12
Newspaper page from The Comet carrying the name Wesley
The Comet 1903-03-19
Newspaper page from The St. Louis Republic carrying the name Wesley
The St. Louis Republic 1904-08-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 12,145 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Wesley in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

29,245 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wesley. The most, 4,421, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 7,869
South Australia 5,316
Victoria 4,910
Western Australia 3,892
Tasmania 3,441
Queensland 3,424
ACT (Canberra) 147
Northern Territory 33

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wesley.

Who carried it

People named Wesley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Samuel Wesley
    Samuel Wesley 1662–1735 · writer
  • Samuel Wesley
    Samuel Wesley 1662–1735 · writer
  • Susanna Wesley
    Susanna Wesley 1669–1742 · writer
  • Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington
    Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington 1690–1758 · politician
  • Samuel Wesley
    Samuel Wesley 1691–1739 · writer
  • Joan Wesley d. 1993

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Wesley,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,331 records

1,331 records of the Wesley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 624
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 298
  • Other U.S. records 409
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James C. Wesley

    Born 1919 in Alabama. Enlisted 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi; construction foreman. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Lone Oak Cemetery, Leesburg, Florida.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Laier Wesley

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Phoenicia from Hamburg, aged 20; tailor. From Nerwo, Austria; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ernest Lamar Wesley

    Born 1947; from Stockbridge, Georgia. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,331 records for Wesley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia296 records

296 records of the Wesley name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 125
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 119
  • Other Australian records 52
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Elizabeth Wesley

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Stately, sailing from Plymouth in 1849. Native of Lincoln's Inn, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1851. Married 1851 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bridget Wesley

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Great Tasmania, aged 48; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Wesley

    Laborer of Bendigo, Victoria; died 1900.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 296 records for Wesley in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada221 records

221 records of the Wesley name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 189
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 9
  • Other Canadian records 23
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Wesley

    Served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion in the First World War, private; of New Edinburgh, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Darlene Wesley

    Died 1982, aged 27; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record James A. Wesley

    Buried in 1983 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 83.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 221 records for Wesley in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Netherlands12 records

12 records of the Wesley name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 11
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Emile Wesley

    Married in 1935 in Maastricht; "vleesgrossier", born 1895 in Maastricht.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Paulina Wesley

    Died 1933 in Maastricht, aged 62.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Eleanor Mary Wesley

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Wesley in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the Wesley name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Effie May Wesley

    Died 1980, aged 65; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Isobel Wesley

    Died 1966, aged 70; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ernest Wesley

    Died 1978; buried at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Wesley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Wesley name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Wesley

    King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Wesley

    Corporal, Machine Gun Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Wesley

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Wesley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Wesley name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Victoria Wesley

    Born 1977 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Montgenèvre (Hautes-Alpes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wesley.

When the index is not enough

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