Willow
A pet form of William, Germanic for “resolute protector.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Willow first shows up in the national records in 1890. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 2016 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2021, when 5,195 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 39 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2022, at No. 37. In 2025 it ranked No. 44 for girls. All told, 65,560 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Willie (596,385), Wiley (18,794), Wylie (6,865), Willy (4,053), Wylee (640) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: William
Explore Willow interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 | No. 1338 |
| 1900s | 40 | No. 1364 |
| 1910s | 111 | No. 1523 |
| 1920s | 252 | No. 1325 |
| 1930s | 208 | No. 1488 |
| 1940s | 175 | No. 1742 |
| 1950s | 138 | No. 2411 |
| 1960s | 139 | No. 2825 |
| 1970s | 502 | No. 1502 |
| 1980s | 344 | No. 1805 |
| 1990s | 1,217 | No. 727 |
| 2000s | 6,024 | No. 312 |
| 2010s | 27,072 | No. 45 |
| 2020s | 28,868 | No. 37 |
Births and rank shown for girls, 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.