Willie
A pet form of William, Germanic for “resolute protector.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Willie appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 1968. Its biggest year was 1947, when 7,997 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 42 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1910, at No. 11. The name has also seen real use for girls: 146,197 of the 596,385 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Willow (65,560), Wiley (18,794), Wylie (6,865), Willy (4,053), Wylee (640) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: William
Explore Willie interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,906 | No. 24 |
| 1890s | 9,849 | No. 18 |
| 1900s | 17,746 | No. 13 |
| 1910s | 47,690 | No. 11 |
| 1920s | 67,993 | No. 27 |
| 1930s | 62,466 | No. 29 |
| 1940s | 72,422 | No. 31 |
| 1950s | 66,460 | No. 42 |
| 1960s | 39,812 | No. 81 |
| 1970s | 23,966 | No. 103 |
| 1980s | 16,892 | No. 130 |
| 1990s | 9,716 | No. 221 |
| 2000s | 5,157 | No. 407 |
| 2010s | 3,132 | No. 614 |
| 2020s | 981 | No. 992 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.