Wesley (name)

Wesley is a name with an Anglo-Norman etymology. The "wes" portion of the name refers to the Western cardinal direction, while the word "lea" refers to a field, pasture, or other clearing in a forest. Thus, the name's origin refers to a "western lea," or a field to the west.

The name was predominantly used as a surname until John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, inspired some parents to name their sons after him.

Surname

 * The Wesley family, founders of Methodism and noted musicians, including:
 * Samuel Wesley (poet, died 1735) (1662–1735), minister and Stuart poet
 * Samuel Wesley (poet, died 1739), or Samuel Wesley the Younger, son of Samuel (1662–1735)
 * John Wesley (1703–1791), son of Samuel (1662–1735), the principal founder of the Methodist denomination of Protestant Christianity
 * Charles Wesley (1707–1788), son of Samuel (1662–1735), Methodist leader and prolific hymn writer
 * Charles Wesley junior (1757–1834), son of Charles (1707–1788), organist, composer
 * Samuel Wesley (composer, born 1766) (1766–1837), son of Charles (1707–1788), organist, composer
 * Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810–1876), son of the Samuel (1766–1837), organist, composer
 * Susanna Wesley (1669–1742), wife of Samuel Wesley (1662–1735)
 * Antoine Wesley (born 1997), American football player
 * Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852), a British soldier and statesman best known for defeating Napoleon, was born as Arthur Wesley
 * August Wesley (1887–1942), Finnish journalist, trade unionist and revolutionary
 * Barry Wesley (born 1999), American football player
 * Billy Wesley (born 1971), American politician
 * Blake Wesley (ice hockey) (born 1959), former Canadian professional ice hockey player
 * Blake Wesley (basketball) (born 2003), American basketball player
 * Charles Wesley (1896–1944), Negro league baseball player
 * Dante Wesley (born 1979), American football player
 * David Wesley (born 1970), retired American basketball player
 * Fred Wesley (born 1943), American jazz trombonist
 * Glen Wesley (born 1968), former Canadian National Hockey League player
 * John Wesley (guitarist) (born 1962), American musician
 * Mary Wesley (1912–2002), British author
 * Mia Wesley, American actress
 * Paul Wesley (born 1982), American actor
 * Richard Wesley (born 1945), African American playwright
 * Rutina Wesley (born 1979), American actress
 * Dorsey Wesley, American record producer known as Megahertz
 * Walt Wesley (born 1945), former American basketball player
 * William Wesley (born 1964), American basketball player and agent

Given name

 * Wesley Addy (1913–1996), American actor
 * Wesley Anderson (born 1969), American film director
 * Wesley Augusto Henn Marth (born 2000), Brazilian football player
 * Wesley (footballer, born 1981) (Wesley Barbosa De Morais), Brazilian football player
 * Wesley G. Bush (born 1961), American business executive
 * Wesley Chesbro (born 1951), California Assemblyman and Senator
 * Wesley Chu (born 1976), American science fiction writer
 * Wesley Clark (born 1944), American military general, and politician
 * Wesley Correira (born 1978), American mixed martial artist
 * Wesley Cox (born 1955), American basketball player
 * Wesley Craven (1939–2015), American filmmaker
 * Wesley Gasolina (Wesley David de Oliveira Andrade, born 2000), Brazilian football player
 * Wesley Duncan (born 1980), American politician
 * Wesley Eure (born 1951), American actor
 * Wesley Fofana (footballer) (born 2000), French footballer
 * Wesley Fofana (rugby union) (born 1988), French rugby union player
 * Wesley French (born 1996), American football player
 * Wesley Henderson (born 1951), American architect, historian, and educator
 * Wesley Klein (born 1988), winner of the second series of Popstars (Netherlands)
 * Wesley Korir (born 1982), Kenyan athlete and politician
 * Wesley (footballer, born 1987) (Wesley Lopes Beltrame, born 1987), Brazilian footballer
 * Wesley (footballer, born 1980) (Wesley Lopes da Silva, born 1980), Brazilian footballer
 * Wesley Matthews (born 1986), American basketball player
 * Wesley (footballer, born November 1996), (Wesley Moraes, born 1996), Brazilian football player
 * Wesley Morgan (born 1990), Canadian actor and model
 * Wes Nelson (born 1998), English television personality and singer
 * Wesley Pruden (1935–2019), American journalist
 * Wesley Ira Purkey (1952–2020), American convicted murderer
 * Wesley Santos (born 1991), Brazilian footballer
 * Wesley Scantlin (born 1972), Guitarist and singer for Puddle Of Mudd
 * Wesley Simms, co-founder of the Redfern All Blacks, an Indigenous Australian rugby league club
 * Wesley Sneijder (born 1984), Dutch footballer
 * Wesley Snipes (born 1962), American actor
 * Wesley So (born 1993), Filipino chess player
 * Wesley Somerville (born 1941), Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary
 * Wesley Stromberg (born 1993), American musician, member of band Emblem3
 * Wesley Tann (1928–2012), American fashion designer
 * Wesley Timoteo (born 2000), Canadian soccer player
 * Wesley Willis (1963–2003), American cult musician and painter

Fictional characters

 * Wesley Dodds, the first of many DC Comics superheroes using the name Sandman
 * Westley, from The Princess Bride, a 1973 novel and 1987 film
 * Wesley "Wes" Collins, from Power Rangers Time Force
 * Wesley Crusher, in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
 * Wesley T. Owens, in the television series Mr. Belvedere
 * Wesley Pegden, from Last of the Summer Wine
 * Wesley Gibson, from the Millarworld series Wanted (and its film adaptation), Nemesis Reloaded, and Big Game
 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, from the television series Angel, originally introduced in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
 * Robert Wesley, in the Star Trek franchise