Wesley is an English surname from a place name meaning "west meadow" or "western clearing". It became a given name in honor of John Wesley, the 18th-century founder of Methodism, and has been used in the United States ever since, especially in Methodist families. Wesley ranked number 171 in the United States in 2000, climbed from number 126 in 2015 into the top 100 in 2019 and reached number 52 among boys in 2025, its highest rank yet.