Fun Facts About the Name Willa
- More than 32 thousand babies named Willa: U.S. records list 32,843 babies given the name Willa from 1880 through 2025. Even 24 boys received the name Willa - about 1 boy for every 1,367 girls.
What Does the Name Willa Mean?
Willa is a feminine name of Germanic origin, generally understood as a shortened form of Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina is the feminine counterpart of Wilhelm, a name formed from the Old High German elements willo ("will, desire") and helm ("helmet, protection"). The literal sense of the parts is something like "willed protection"; the customary English translation is "resolute protector." Because Willa is a clipped form rather than a direct compound, it carries the meaning of the parent name without adding any elements of its own.
Willa Name History & Origins
Wilhelm and its feminine form Wilhelmina were long established in German- and Dutch-speaking Europe, and the Dutch form Wilhelmina was borne by several queens of the Netherlands. In English use, Wilhelmina generated a group of pet forms, among them Wilma, Minnie, and Willa. Willa came to be used on its own as a given name in the English-speaking world rather than only as a nickname.
The American writer Willa Cather (1873 - 1947) was a prominent bearer; she was born Wilella and used the shorter form, though the name was already current as an independent given name. Willa has continued to appear as a name in its own right, distinct from the fuller Wilhelmina.
How Popular is the Name Willa?
Willa recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2019. Its best rank was #274 in 1932.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #422 | 742 | 0.0462% |
| 2024 | #423 | 729 | 0.0452% |
| 2023 | #428 | 721 | 0.0450% |
| 2022 | #396 | 791 | 0.0483% |
| 2021 | #350 | 887 | 0.0541% |
| 2020 | #351 | 886 | 0.0548% |
| 2019 | #356 | 889 | 0.0530% |
| 2018 | #383 | 813 | 0.0478% |
| 2017 | #453 | 699 | 0.0405% |
| 2016 | #461 | 689 | 0.0389% |
| 2015 | #481 | 675 | 0.0378% |
| 2014 | #551 | 562 | 0.0315% |
| 2013 | #697 | 406 | 0.0231% |
| 2012 | #717 | 389 | 0.0221% |
| 2011 | #984 | 261 | 0.0148% |
| 2010 | #954 | 269 | 0.0151% |
| 2009 | #1,035 | 252 | 0.0137% |
| 2008 | #1,061 | 247 | 0.0131% |
| 2007 | #1,238 | 201 | 0.0105% |
| 2006 | #1,796 | 116 | 0.0061% |
| 2005 | #1,656 | 121 | 0.0065% |
| 2004 | #1,906 | 99 | 0.0054% |
| 2003 | #1,914 | 96 | 0.0053% |
| 2002 | #1,851 | 97 | 0.0054% |
| 2001 | #2,598 | 59 | 0.0033% |
| 2000 | #2,670 | 56 | 0.0031% |
| 1999 | #2,340 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 1998 | #2,888 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1997 | #3,543 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 1996 | #3,361 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1995 | #2,587 | 49 | 0.0028% |
| 1994 | #2,624 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 1993 | #2,936 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 1992 | #3,577 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1991 | #3,632 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1990 | #3,907 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1989 | #3,328 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1988 | #3,161 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1987 | #3,741 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #3,131 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1985 | #3,617 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1984 | #2,572 | 37 | 0.0022% |
| 1983 | #3,548 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1982 | #3,258 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1981 | #2,983 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 1980 | #3,502 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1979 | #2,668 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 1978 | #2,678 | 32 | 0.0021% |
| 1977 | #3,001 | 27 | 0.0018% |
| 1976 | #3,093 | 24 | 0.0016% |
| 1975 | #2,742 | 28 | 0.0019% |
| 1974 | #2,755 | 27 | 0.0018% |
| 1973 | #2,563 | 29 | 0.0020% |
| 1972 | #2,274 | 34 | 0.0022% |
| 1971 | #1,856 | 48 | 0.0029% |
| 1970 | #1,801 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 1969 | #1,895 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 1968 | #1,885 | 41 | 0.0025% |
| 1967 | #1,254 | 74 | 0.0045% |
| 1966 | #1,240 | 76 | 0.0045% |
| 1965 | #1,096 | 92 | 0.0052% |
| 1964 | #1,041 | 109 | 0.0058% |
| 1963 | #1,103 | 98 | 0.0051% |
| 1962 | #913 | 135 | 0.0069% |
| 1961 | #919 | 138 | 0.0068% |
| 1960 | #853 | 149 | 0.0074% |
| 1959 | #882 | 139 | 0.0069% |
| 1958 | #788 | 163 | 0.0081% |
| 1957 | #770 | 169 | 0.0083% |
| 1956 | #704 | 185 | 0.0092% |
| 1955 | #601 | 237 | 0.0121% |
| 1954 | #603 | 226 | 0.0116% |
| 1953 | #585 | 229 | 0.0122% |
| 1952 | #508 | 276 | 0.0149% |
| 1951 | #547 | 238 | 0.0132% |
| 1950 | #507 | 256 | 0.0149% |
| 1949 | #469 | 293 | 0.0171% |
| 1948 | #531 | 244 | 0.0144% |
| 1947 | #471 | 303 | 0.0171% |
| 1946 | #448 | 300 | 0.0191% |
| 1945 | #380 | 344 | 0.0263% |
| 1944 | #360 | 371 | 0.0280% |
| 1943 | #380 | 364 | 0.0261% |
| 1942 | #338 | 421 | 0.0312% |
| 1941 | #331 | 400 | 0.0331% |
| 1940 | #329 | 375 | 0.0328% |
| 1939 | #320 | 375 | 0.0342% |
| 1938 | #330 | 368 | 0.0334% |
| 1937 | #308 | 405 | 0.0381% |
| 1936 | #281 | 454 | 0.0436% |
| 1935 | #298 | 414 | 0.0395% |
| 1934 | #278 | 486 | 0.0465% |
| 1933 | #280 | 462 | 0.0458% |
| 1932 | #274 | 515 | 0.0483% |
| 1931 | #300 | 450 | 0.0423% |
| 1930 | #292 | 512 | 0.0455% |
| 1929 | #294 | 494 | 0.0442% |
| 1928 | #300 | 500 | 0.0434% |
| 1927 | #278 | 566 | 0.0475% |
| 1926 | #288 | 536 | 0.0452% |
| 1925 | #296 | 521 | 0.0428% |
| 1924 | #307 | 471 | 0.0377% |
| 1923 | #301 | 457 | 0.0379% |
| 1922 | #319 | 416 | 0.0346% |
| 1921 | #328 | 407 | 0.0330% |
| 1920 | #317 | 424 | 0.0354% |
| 1919 | #325 | 382 | 0.0338% |
| 1918 | #311 | 425 | 0.0367% |
| 1917 | #341 | 336 | 0.0311% |
| 1916 | #349 | 316 | 0.0303% |
| 1915 | #347 | 292 | 0.0297% |
| 1914 | #332 | 251 | 0.0330% |
| 1913 | #334 | 208 | 0.0333% |
| 1912 | #344 | 180 | 0.0323% |
| 1911 | #329 | 145 | 0.0347% |
| 1910 | #342 | 134 | 0.0338% |
| 1909 | #329 | 123 | 0.0354% |
| 1908 | #364 | 99 | 0.0296% |
| 1907 | #339 | 106 | 0.0333% |
| 1906 | #340 | 97 | 0.0328% |
| 1905 | #349 | 92 | 0.0315% |
| 1904 | #342 | 91 | 0.0330% |
| 1903 | #360 | 79 | 0.0302% |
| 1902 | #390 | 64 | 0.0242% |
| 1901 | #403 | 55 | 0.0230% |
| 1900 | #369 | 84 | 0.0280% |
| 1899 | #373 | 61 | 0.0262% |
| 1898 | #400 | 60 | 0.0232% |
| 1897 | #381 | 58 | 0.0248% |
| 1896 | #357 | 67 | 0.0282% |
| 1895 | #390 | 53 | 0.0227% |
| 1894 | #428 | 43 | 0.0193% |
| 1893 | #390 | 48 | 0.0225% |
| 1892 | #377 | 51 | 0.0240% |
| 1891 | #429 | 35 | 0.0189% |
| 1890 | #360 | 51 | 0.0268% |
| 1889 | #386 | 40 | 0.0224% |
| 1888 | #393 | 39 | 0.0218% |
| 1887 | #397 | 31 | 0.0212% |
| 1886 | #394 | 31 | 0.0214% |
| 1885 | #427 | 25 | 0.0188% |
| 1884 | #540 | 16 | 0.0124% |
| 1883 | #434 | 20 | 0.0178% |
| 1882 | #492 | 15 | 0.0139% |
| 1881 | #579 | 10 | 0.0109% |
| 1880 | #517 | 12 | 0.0132% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | #3,511 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1933 | #3,635 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #4,267 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #3,550 | 7 | 0.0007% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Willa
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with W
Short Girl Names That Start with W
How the Name Willa Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Willa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Willa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.