Will

Last seen for girls in 1978 at #9,750 · #1,193 for boys in 2025, 170 births
Given to boys 98.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1882 · 666 births
Debut · boys
588 births
In top 100 · boys
30 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
45,952
since 1880

Will over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201915peak #25, 1882boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#1,193170
2024—#1,286153
2023—#1,137185
2022—#1,156178
2021—#1,067200
2020—#935235
2019—#981217
2018—#894242
2017—#899239
2016—#823277
2015—#831270
2014—#754313
2013—#740315
2012—#671352
2011—#662357
2010—#622396
2009—#577457
2008—#585432
2007—#563457
2006—#533473
2005—#492503
2004—#528452
2003—#535433
2002—#549403
2001—#550389
2000—#510447
1999—#505422
1998—#578339
1997—#632268
1996—#620280
1995—#635266
1994—#659248
1993—#628268
1992—#651252
1991—#593295
1990—#590289
1989—#589277
1988—#605241
1987—#593233
1986—#625204
1985—#615201
1984—#592204
1983—#564223
1982—#527262
1981—#560233
1980—#516271
1979—#505273
1978#9,7505#544232
1977—#556226
1976—#538224
1975—#535224
1974—#533224
1973—#542207
1972—#585185
1971—#564207
1970—#532230
1969—#566192
1968—#520213
1967—#585167
1966—#531205
1965—#547196
1964—#511235
1963—#515242
1962—#557200
1961—#529225
1960—#527225
1959—#545207
1958—#572183
1957#5,3776#524217
1956—#547192
1955—#583158
1954#3,9679#503207
1953—#486209
1952—#484211
1951#4,8336#490191
1950#4,7386#445224
1949—#449220
1948—#434238
1947#4,7646#466209
1946—#442207
1945—#431191
1944#4,0546#396235
1943#3,2499#439205
1942#3,1949#413221
1941#3,9546#382226
1940#4,3495#396209
1939#3,1458#377226
1938#2,73010#371231
1937#2,19614#355230
1936#2,26313#353233
1935#3,7426#311305
1934#2,74110#370215
1933#2,8689#362224
1932#2,64411#357242
1931#2,58111#364237
1930#2,55212#354259
1929#2,30114#333277
1928#1,96119#312323
1927#2,43314#330300
1926#1,77223#310333
1925#2,11918#299367
1924#3,3939#304354
1923#2,16917#291370
1922#1,73024#301358
1921#2,12018#291373
1920#2,46314#294368
1919#1,69823#273373
1918#1,75422#279363
1917#1,70821#281339
1916#2,02816#262362
1915#1,73819#249362
1914#1,38521#238319
1913#1,88311#222280
1912#2,1448#213256
1911#2,4635#146230
1910#1,33512#113278
1909#1,6078#99267
1908#1,20312#96274
1907—#96260
1906#1,5537#92253
1905#1,2989#85286
1904#1,4867#81287
1903—#74293
1902#1,3208#64359
1901#1,3397#53364
1900#1,10612#43603
1899—#48414
1898#1,2638#48475
1897#1,2637#44491
1896—#44508
1895#1,4266#44485
1894—#39559
1893—#37538
1892#1,1717#34607
1891#1,3325#34520
1890—#30613
1889#1,1476#30631
1888#1,2765#28707
1887#7889#30561
1886#9936#27642
1885#1,0475#27625
1884—#28650
1883#9205#29576
1882#7407#25666
1881#6797#26550
1880—#27588
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Will was already there! It came in at #27, and was given to 588 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2021–2025, when fewer than 210 boys a year got the name.

Where Will is popular in 1915

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMOKentucky: #179 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,172 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWVVirginia: #262 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,256 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedKSArkansas: #164 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 812 boysARTennessee: #84 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 489 boysTNNorth Carolina: #142 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 876 boysNCSouth Carolina: #138 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 839 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #176 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 878 boysLAMississippi: #55 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 274 boysMSAlabama: #87 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 455 boysALGeorgia: #97 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 513 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedHITexas: #216 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 1,157 boysTXFlorida: #122 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 623 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#55 · 1 in 274
  2. Tennessee#84 · 1 in 489
  3. Alabama#87 · 1 in 455
  4. Georgia#97 · 1 in 513
  5. Florida#122 · 1 in 623

Best ever in a state: #28 in Alabama, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#55551 in 274
Tennessee#84361 in 489
Alabama#87431 in 455
Georgia#97481 in 513
Florida#122121 in 623
South Carolina#138181 in 839
North Carolina#142271 in 876
Arkansas#164161 in 812
Louisiana#176161 in 878
Kentucky#179161 in 1,172
Texas#216321 in 1,157
Virginia#26281 in 2,256
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Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Will
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 93 spots since 2024 (#1,286 → #1,193)
  • 258 spots since 2020 (#935 → #1,193)
  • 362 spots since 2015 (#831 → #1,193)
  • Biggest jump: 73 spots in 1999 (#578 → #505)
  • Biggest drop: 132 spots in 2021 (#935 → #1,067)
Rise & fade · boys
2 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1882 at #25 (666 births)
  • Births halved by 1903, 21 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 30 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 30 yrs · run 1880–1909
  • Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1880–2020
Share of babies · boys
1 in 171
  • Highest: 1 in 171 boys born in 1882 were named Will (0.59%)
  • Latest: 1 in 10,048 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · boys
The 1880s
  • 13.5% of all boys named Will (6,196) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s6,196#25 (1882)#28
1890s5,210#30 (1890)#40
1900s3,246#43 (1900)#78
1910s3,162#113 (1910)#228
1920s3,423#291 (1921)#307
1930s2,402#311 (1935)#357
1940s2,161#382 (1941)#425
1950s1,999#445 (1950)#518
1960s2,100#511 (1964)#539
1970s2,232#505 (1979)#543
1980s2,349#516 (1980)#579
1990s2,927#505 (1999)#609
2000s4,446#492 (2005)#542
2010s2,978#622 (2010)#788
2020s1,121#935 (2020)#1,129

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Will in 1915

girls
#1,738
19 births · 1 in 51,782 girls
boys
#249
362 births · 1 in 2,344 boys

Top girls' names in 1915

  1. #1Mary58,187
  2. #2Helen30,866
  3. #3Dorothy25,154
  4. #4Margaret23,054
  5. #5Ruth21,878
  6. #6Mildred15,254
  7. #7Anna15,119
  8. #8Elizabeth14,103
  9. #9Frances12,786
  10. #10Evelyn11,595
  11. #1,738Will19

Top boys' names in 1915

  1. #1John47,576
  2. #2William38,563
  3. #3James33,773
  4. #4Robert28,737
  5. #5Joseph23,051
  6. #6George22,307
  7. #7Charles21,960
  8. #8Edward15,889
  9. #9Frank15,006
  10. #10Thomas11,490
  11. #249Will362
More about 1915

girls

983,852 girls got a published name in 1915; 1 in 51,782 of them was named Will, which outranked 65.0% of the 4,967 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Will
  1. #1,672Verma20
  2. #1,672Vernelle20
  3. #1,672Zelia20
  4. #1,738Will19
  5. #1,738Adriana19
  6. #1,738Alethia19
  7. #1,738Altie19
  8. #1,800Agness18
  9. #1,800Ailene18
  10. #1,800Alean18

Tied with 61 names at #1,738; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 500Gerda#1,444 → #944
  2. ↑ 451Theda#1,034 → #583
  3. ↑ 441Dominga#1,385 → #944
  4. ↑ 354Vernon#1,344 → #990
  5. ↑ 308Loyce#1,147 → #839
Fallers
  1. ↓ 383Drusilla#956 → #1,339
  2. ↓ 342Rossie#798 → #1,140
  3. ↓ 335Arlie#855 → #1,190
  4. ↓ 329Orene#956 → #1,285
  5. ↓ 329Margot#988 → #1,317

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

848,575 boys got a published name in 1915; 1 in 2,344 of them was named Will, which outranked 94.3% of the 4,390 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Will
  1. #246Preston388
  2. #247Hyman378
  3. #248Cornelius372
  4. #249Will362
  5. #250Murray361
  6. #251Louie360
  7. #252Anton357
Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 691Eston#1,687 → #996
  2. ↑ 565Estill#1,545 → #980
  3. ↑ 545Garth#1,260 → #715
  4. ↑ 474Hiroshi#1,342 → #868
  5. ↑ 439Domingo#1,101 → #662
Fallers
  1. ↓ 674Gilmore#986 → #1,660
  2. ↓ 667Barnett#933 → #1,600
  3. ↓ 526Rose#884 → #1,410
  4. ↓ 517Toivo#855 → #1,372
  5. ↓ 461Sampson#949 → #1,410

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1915 →