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At a Glance: Name: Wells – Meaning: dweller by the springs or wells – Origin: Old English (surname) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: WELZ
Wells began as an Old English surname for someone who lived near a spring or well — a plain, literal name tied to a place rather than a legend. It's a gender-neutral name with a vintage feel, pronounced WELZ. If you like a name with a clear, documented origin rather than a vague one, that's what Wells offers.
Meaning & Origin of Wells
Meaning: Dweller by the springs or wells.
Origin: Old English (surname).
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Wells
Phonetic: WELZ IPA: /ˈwɛlz/
Popularity of Wells
In 2024, 865 baby Wells were recorded in the U.S., putting it at #376 — the highest rank it has reached in SSA records going back to 1881.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1881–2024.
Make Wells Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Wells, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Wells mean?
Dweller by the springs or wells. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wells)
How do you pronounce Wells?
Wells is pronounced WELZ (IPA: /ˈwɛlz/).
Is Wells a popular name right now?
Wells is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #376 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1881–2024.)
📊 How popular is Wells? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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