Home › Baby Names Directory › Wells

Wells

♂ Boy

Pronounced WELZ /wɛlz/High

Meaning: From the Old English 'wiell' or 'wella', meaning spring, stream, or well — a topographic surname for someone living near natural water sources.High

In 30 seconds: Wells is a crisp, single-syllable water name — the plural of 'well', originally naming those who lived near springs. Minimal and modern, it has the same clean energy as Brooks and Hayes.
💕 Browse more names
Origin HighOld English
MeaningFrom the Old English 'wiell' or 'wella', meaning spring, stream, or well — a topographic surname for someone living near natural water sources.
U.S. rank (2025)#347 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births944 boys (0.05% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2025
Total births (all-time)≈ 6,984

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202518812025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Wells derives from the Old English wiell or wella, meaning spring, stream, or well. The city of Wells in Somerset, England, takes its name from the natural springs at the site, which fed a pool and later a cathedral complex. The surname Wells was applied to families living near springs or wells. H.G. Wells (1866–1946), the science fiction pioneer, is the most famous historical bearer.

As a given name, Wells has been emerging in the United States in the 2010s and 2020s as part of a trend toward short, punchy surname names. It shares the same one-syllable water-adjacent elegance as Brooks and Hayes, and the plural form gives it a slightly weightier, more distinctive feel. It is gaining ground in the US top 500 and has a crisp, modern appeal.

Did you know? The city of Wells in Somerset, England, is the smallest city in England (and one of the smallest in the world) — it earned city status solely because it has a cathedral, making it technically a city with a population of only about 10,000 people.
Overall data confidence 90%
Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names — Old English wiell and the origin of Wells, SomersetSocial Security Administration Name Data — US popularity trend for Wells as a first name

Variations

Well

Nicknames

W

Famous Bearers

  • ★H.G. Wells (Herbert George Wells) (1866–1946)
    British author and father of science fiction, known for The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine.

If you like Wells…

Hayes— one-syllable Old English surname name with the same short, crisp character and nature connection
Brooks— one-syllable water-related English surname name with the same clean, modern first-name appeal
Ford— one-syllable Old English topographic surname name with the same water connection and directness

Frequently Asked

What does the name Wells mean?

Wells means 'from the springs' or 'near the wells', from Old English wiell (spring, stream).

How do you pronounce Wells?

Wells is pronounced WELZ (/wɛlz/), a single syllable.

Is Wells a boy or girl name?

Wells is predominantly used as a boy's name.

How popular is Wells?

Wells is rising in the US top 500 boys' names in the 2010s and 2020s, part of the trend for short, punchy English surname names.