Declining since 1994, #3,949 for boys today.
Popularity of Willy since 1884
Babies named Willy per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1993, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Willy's real moment was 1906.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 7 |
| 1900s | 21 |
| 1910s | 115 |
| 1920s | 196 |
| 1930s | 243 |
| 1940s | 282 |
| 1950s | 326 |
| 1960s | 420 |
| 1970s | 379 |
| 1980s | 383 |
| 1990s | 535 |
| 2000s | 503 |
| 2010s | 352 |
| 2020s | 170 |
Meaning & origin
Willy originated as a familiar nickname for William and became an independent given name in the late 19th century. It reached its peak popularity in 1906, ranking among the top names for boys at that time. Since 1994, its usage has steadily declined, and by 2025 it ranked 3949th, with only about 1 in 63,262 newborns receiving the name. Its trajectory has been falling for decades, reflecting a broader shift away from diminutive forms as stand-alone first names. The name rarely appears in top-state data, indicating a scattered national usage rather than regional concentration. Despite its historical roots, Willy has largely faded from common use, often overshadowed by the longer form William or the alternative spelling Willie.
Willy originated as a medieval English nickname for William, from the Norman French Willaume, itself derived from the Old High German Willahelm, composed of willo (will, desire) and helm (helmet, protection). It was used independently by the 19th century, often as a familiar form before declining in use as a given name in the mid-20th century.
“Willy” around the world
Where Willy lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Will
Variants: Willie
Sibling names for Willy
Names that share Willy's style, for a brother or sister.
