Head to head · Boys' names
Davis vs Wylder
#668 vs #669 in 2025
Davis is a whisker ahead (#668 vs #669 in 2025), but the curves point different ways: Davis is stepping back from its peak, Wylder is climbing the charts fast. On momentum, Wylder has the edge.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
The tale of the tape
On the charts, Davis leads 5 measures of 6; Wylder leads 1.
Ranks, counts and years are measured in the official US birth record; the classroom and living figures are estimates computed from it. The dot marks the side each measure favours on the charts — more common, not better.
What the records say
146 years of US births, drawn on one scale
Two curves, one scale
Who owned which decade
- 1880s: Davis #483, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1890s: Davis #511, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1900s: Davis #519, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1910s: Davis #535, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1920s: Davis #530, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1930s: Davis #547, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1940s: Davis #553, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1950s: Davis #626, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1960s: Davis #713, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1970s: Davis #787, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1980s: Davis #635, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 1990s: Davis #452, Wylder — — Davis higher
- 2000s: Davis #391, Wylder #7571 — Davis higher
- 2010s: Davis #466, Wylder #3139 — Davis higher
- 2020s: Davis #611, Wylder #850 — Davis higher
Davis stood higher in every recorded decade — 15 of 15.
Rank by decade
| Decade | Davis | Wylder |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | #483 | — |
| 1890s | #511 | — |
| 1900s | #519 | — |
| 1910s | #535 | — |
| 1920s | #530 | — |
| 1930s | #547 | — |
| 1940s | #553 | — |
| 1950s | #626 | — |
| 1960s | #713 | — |
| 1970s | #787 | — |
| 1980s | #635 | — |
| 1990s | #452 | — |
| 2000s | #391 | #7571 |
| 2010s | #466 | #3139 |
| 2020s | #611 | #850 |
Average national rank across each decade. A dash means the name sat outside the recorded top of that decade.
The names themselves
Meaning, roots, sound and the people who carried each
Where each name comes from
Davis
Son of David; David itself is Hebrew for "beloved"
The patronymic origin is not in doubt. Davis and Davies are the same formation: David's son, with the possessive worn down over centuries of use.
Dawid → David → Dewi → Davies → Davis
How it traveled
David reached medieval Britain through the Bible and through Dewi, the Welsh form borne by the patron saint of Wales, which made it one of the most-used baptismal names in the country. From it grew the patronymic Davies, and its variant Davis, until the two stood among the most frequent surnames in Wales and the English border counties.
Wylder
from the English word "wild" — untamed, uncultivated
The surname reached families two ways from the same word: as a byname for someone thought unruly, and as a name for a person living on wild or uncultivated land. Either road leads back to Middle English wilde.
wilde (Middle English) → Wilder (English surname) → Wilder (given name) → Wylder
How it traveled
Wilder began as an English surname built on the Middle English word wilde, itself from Old English, and it also exists as a German family name from the cognate wild. Like Sawyer, Parker and Cooper before it, it crossed from surname to first name in the United States, where family names have long been handed forward as given names.
Where a reading is contested the note says so — this page does not turn a guess into a fact. The chain is each name's recorded forms, oldest first; the story is its opening, told in full on the name's own page.
Out loud, and in short
Davis
DAY-viss
Stress on the first syllable. Rarely misread, though the final -s is sometimes softened to a z sound in casual speech.
- Dave — The obvious informal shortening; also stands entirely on its own as a given name, usually from David.
- Davy — Older short form of David, used affectionately and mostly within families.
- Day — An informal clip heard occasionally, more a family habit than a standard nickname.
Wylder
WILE-der
Two syllables, stress on the first, exactly like the word wilder. The y does no extra work — it sounds the same as the i in Wilder.
- Wy — The most natural clipped form, informal and used at home rather than on paper.
- Wyl — Informal short form; sounds identical to Will, which some families lean into.
- Will — Borrowed from the sound of the first syllable; already a standalone given name of its own, so it may need explaining.
- Wylie — An affectionate lengthening rather than a shortening; also stands alone as a given name in its Wylie and Wiley spellings.
Is it right for you
The differences that decide it, laid out by what you want
Choose by what you want
Choose Davis if you want…
- a name past its most crowded yearsDavis is stepping back from its peak
- a long American recordDavis was already in use when US records began in 1880
Choose Wylder if you want…
- a name on the way upup 541 places on the charts in five years
- a newer arrivalWylder entered the US charts in 2005
Each line is a measured difference between the two names — a rank, a count, a recorded form — never a judgement of either. Save the one that answers your question; it lands on your shortlist.
The trade-offs, name by name
Davis
Strengths
- A spelling almost every American already knows from the surname, so it is written correctly on the first attempt.
- Two syllables with clear first-syllable stress — easy to call across a yard and easy for a small child to say.
- Ready-made short forms in Dave and Davy, both in use for centuries.
To consider
- It still reads as a surname to many ears, which means occasional forms filled in the wrong order and the odd "and your first name?" It resolves quickly, but it happens.
- Davis is one of the most common surnames in the country, so check it against your own — and be aware that the Confederate president Jefferson Davis carried it, an association that surfaces more often in some regions than others.
- Because it sits so close to David, some people will default to calling him David or Dave without asking.
Wylder
Strengths
- Sounds like a word everyone already knows, so no one has to be taught how to say it.
- The Wy- spelling has English precedent in Wyatt, Wynn and Wyndham, so it reads as a spelling rather than a typo.
- Sits in the well-established surname-as-first-name tradition alongside Sawyer, Parker and Cooper.
To consider
- Wilder is the older and better-known spelling, so expect a lifetime of gentle corrections — on forms, on rosters, in email. Saying it aloud won't help, since both spellings sound the same.
- The meaning is right there in plain English, which means the wild jokes will arrive early and often, from teachers as much as classmates.
- This name's entire history as a given name is recent, so there are effectively no grown Wylders yet. Some parents like being early to a name; others prefer one that has already been tested by a few generations.
Documented properties of each name — how it spells, travels and shortens — not opinions about the child.
How each is likely to age
Davis
40%chance Davis feels dated by 2040
Davis sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
Wylder
56%chance Wylder feels dated by 2040
Wylder is climbing fast right now. Steep climbs tend to come with steep descents — the quicker a name arrives, the more firmly it belongs to its moment.
A reading of where each name sits on the long naming cycle — computed, not measured, and explained on the data page.
With your last name
Say both in full. The notes are facts about letters and sound — a rhyme, a shared initial, the monogram — not a verdict on either name.
Type a last name to hear Davis and Wylder in full.
Weighing the whole shortlist? Run the full comparison — up to eight names with your last name, initials, classroom projections and a printable report.
Decide together
Nobody names a baby alone
Still torn between Davis and Wylder?
Put both to the vote.
One link to your partner, your parents, your sister. Each of them gets the two names, a one-tap answer and room to say why — and every reply lands in one place.
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More than two in the running? Settle it with a bracket or run the full comparison with your last name.
More head-to-heads
Same measures, different pair. Sixty more are dealt daily in the arena.
Lists these names appear on
Where Davis and Wylder each sit in the library — alternatives in the same style, ranked by the same records.
Davis or Wylder — the short answers
- Which is more popular, Davis or Wylder?
- Davis, in 2025: Davis ranked #668 with 409 babies; Wylder ranked #669 with 407 babies.
- Which name is rising faster, Davis or Wylder?
- Wylder. Over the last five years Davis moved down 115 places; Wylder moved up 541 places.
- Which is the older name, Davis or Wylder?
- Davis was already in use when US records began in 1880; Wylder entered the US charts in 2005. On the American record, Davis is the older name.
- How many people are named Davis and Wylder?
- About 26,500 people named Davis are estimated to be alive in the US today. About 2,500 people named Wylder are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- Will there be other Daviss or Wylders in the classroom?
- Davis will almost certainly be the only one in school. Wylder will almost certainly be the only one in school.
US figures from the Social Security Administration, 1880–2025. Votes are battle voters on this site, not the birth record. Data & methodology
Keep playing
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