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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201923peak #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 1923

  • 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: #350 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 5,175 boysINOhio: 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: #379 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,865 boysMOKentucky: #227 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,722 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWVVirginia: #246 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,172 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: #191 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,106 boysARTennessee: #111 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 637 boysTNNorth Carolina: #199 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,391 boysNCSouth Carolina: #198 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,511 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #411 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,487 boysOKLouisiana: #196 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,121 boysLAMississippi: #67 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 329 boysMSAlabama: #85 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 448 boysALGeorgia: #139 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 807 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedHITexas: #215 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 1,209 boysTXFlorida: #235 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,702 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#67 · 1 in 329
  2. Alabama#85 · 1 in 448
  3. Tennessee#111 · 1 in 637
  4. Georgia#139 · 1 in 807
  5. Arkansas#191 · 1 in 1,106

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#67571 in 329
Alabama#85571 in 448
Tennessee#111381 in 637
Georgia#139351 in 807
Arkansas#191161 in 1,106
Louisiana#196171 in 1,121
South Carolina#198131 in 1,511
North Carolina#199241 in 1,391
Texas#215431 in 1,209
Kentucky#227151 in 1,722
Florida#23561 in 1,702
Virginia#246111 in 2,172
Indiana#35051 in 5,175
Missouri#37961 in 4,865
Oklahoma#41151 in 4,487
Alaska———
Arizona———
California———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
New York———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

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 1923

girls
#2,169
17 births · 1 in 70,963 girls
boys
#291
370 births · 1 in 2,962 boys

Top girls' names in 1923

  1. #1Mary71,634
  2. #2Dorothy39,043
  3. #3Helen31,486
  4. #4Margaret26,134
  5. #5Betty25,989
  6. #6Ruth23,637
  7. #7Virginia18,325
  8. #8Mildred15,989
  9. #9Elizabeth15,459
  10. #10Frances14,881
  11. #2,169Will17

Top boys' names in 1923

  1. #1John57,467
  2. #2Robert56,111
  3. #3William52,136
  4. #4James50,462
  5. #5Charles28,966
  6. #6George27,025
  7. #7Joseph25,561
  8. #8Edward20,597
  9. #9Richard18,887
  10. #10Donald16,433
  11. #291Will370
More about 1923

girls

1,206,366 girls got a published name in 1923; 1 in 70,963 of them was named Will, which outranked 62.2% of the 5,739 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Will
  1. #2,091Wylene18
  2. #2,091Wynelle18
  3. #2,091Yasuko18
  4. #2,169Will17
  5. #2,169Adine17
  6. #2,169Akiko17
  7. #2,169Aldene17
  8. #2,264Aldean16
  9. #2,264Almarie16
  10. #2,264Alphia16

Tied with 94 names at #2,169; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1922
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,834Eris#2,291 → #457
  2. ↑ 619Penny#1,508 → #889
  3. ↑ 317Laurene#1,309 → #992
  4. ↑ 310Cruz#1,103 → #793
  5. ↑ 306Dorene#1,207 → #901
Fallers
  1. ↓ 321Veva#962 → #1,283
  2. ↓ 318Arlie#949 → #1,267
  3. ↓ 305Gaynell#978 → #1,283
  4. ↓ 303Trinidad#449 → #752
  5. ↓ 300Laurine#897 → #1,197

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

boys

1,096,102 boys got a published name in 1923; 1 in 2,962 of them was named Will, which outranked 94.1% of the 4,904 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Will
  1. #287Moses381
  2. #289Stuart374
  3. #290Mitchell372
  4. #291Will370
  5. #292Ramon369
  6. #293Ruben368
  7. #294Harrison361
Biggest movers since 1922
Risers
  1. ↑ 403Marcos#1,333 → #930
  2. ↑ 341Armin#1,333 → #992
  3. ↑ 309Betty#1,222 → #913
  4. ↑ 309Godfrey#1,222 → #913
  5. ↑ 308Val#1,181 → #873
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,021Harden#999 → #2,020
  2. ↓ 472Buel#850 → #1,322
  3. ↓ 420Trinidad#485 → #905
  4. ↓ 304Gorden#722 → #1,026
  5. ↓ 288Joy#840 → #1,128

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

See the top 100 for 1923 →