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
- Peak · boys
- 1882 · 666 births
- Debut · boys
- 588 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 30 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 45,952since 1880
Will over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #1,193 | 170 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,286 | 153 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,137 | 185 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,156 | 178 | |
| 2021 | — | #1,067 | 200 | |
| 2020 | — | #935 | 235 | |
| 2019 | — | #981 | 217 | |
| 2018 | — | #894 | 242 | |
| 2017 | — | #899 | 239 | |
| 2016 | — | #823 | 277 | |
| 2015 | — | #831 | 270 | |
| 2014 | — | #754 | 313 | |
| 2013 | — | #740 | 315 | |
| 2012 | — | #671 | 352 | |
| 2011 | — | #662 | 357 | |
| 2010 | — | #622 | 396 | |
| 2009 | — | #577 | 457 | |
| 2008 | — | #585 | 432 | |
| 2007 | — | #563 | 457 | |
| 2006 | — | #533 | 473 | |
| 2005 | — | #492 | 503 | |
| 2004 | — | #528 | 452 | |
| 2003 | — | #535 | 433 | |
| 2002 | — | #549 | 403 | |
| 2001 | — | #550 | 389 | |
| 2000 | — | #510 | 447 | |
| 1999 | — | #505 | 422 | |
| 1998 | — | #578 | 339 | |
| 1997 | — | #632 | 268 | |
| 1996 | — | #620 | 280 | |
| 1995 | — | #635 | 266 | |
| 1994 | — | #659 | 248 | |
| 1993 | — | #628 | 268 | |
| 1992 | — | #651 | 252 | |
| 1991 | — | #593 | 295 | |
| 1990 | — | #590 | 289 | |
| 1989 | — | #589 | 277 | |
| 1988 | — | #605 | 241 | |
| 1987 | — | #593 | 233 | |
| 1986 | — | #625 | 204 | |
| 1985 | — | #615 | 201 | |
| 1984 | — | #592 | 204 | |
| 1983 | — | #564 | 223 | |
| 1982 | — | #527 | 262 | |
| 1981 | — | #560 | 233 | |
| 1980 | — | #516 | 271 | |
| 1979 | — | #505 | 273 | |
| 1978 | #9,750 | 5 | #544 | 232 |
| 1977 | — | #556 | 226 | |
| 1976 | — | #538 | 224 | |
| 1975 | — | #535 | 224 | |
| 1974 | — | #533 | 224 | |
| 1973 | — | #542 | 207 | |
| 1972 | — | #585 | 185 | |
| 1971 | — | #564 | 207 | |
| 1970 | — | #532 | 230 | |
| 1969 | — | #566 | 192 | |
| 1968 | — | #520 | 213 | |
| 1967 | — | #585 | 167 | |
| 1966 | — | #531 | 205 | |
| 1965 | — | #547 | 196 | |
| 1964 | — | #511 | 235 | |
| 1963 | — | #515 | 242 | |
| 1962 | — | #557 | 200 | |
| 1961 | — | #529 | 225 | |
| 1960 | — | #527 | 225 | |
| 1959 | — | #545 | 207 | |
| 1958 | — | #572 | 183 | |
| 1957 | #5,377 | 6 | #524 | 217 |
| 1956 | — | #547 | 192 | |
| 1955 | — | #583 | 158 | |
| 1954 | #3,967 | 9 | #503 | 207 |
| 1953 | — | #486 | 209 | |
| 1952 | — | #484 | 211 | |
| 1951 | #4,833 | 6 | #490 | 191 |
| 1950 | #4,738 | 6 | #445 | 224 |
| 1949 | — | #449 | 220 | |
| 1948 | — | #434 | 238 | |
| 1947 | #4,764 | 6 | #466 | 209 |
| 1946 | — | #442 | 207 | |
| 1945 | — | #431 | 191 | |
| 1944 | #4,054 | 6 | #396 | 235 |
| 1943 | #3,249 | 9 | #439 | 205 |
| 1942 | #3,194 | 9 | #413 | 221 |
| 1941 | #3,954 | 6 | #382 | 226 |
| 1940 | #4,349 | 5 | #396 | 209 |
| 1939 | #3,145 | 8 | #377 | 226 |
| 1938 | #2,730 | 10 | #371 | 231 |
| 1937 | #2,196 | 14 | #355 | 230 |
| 1936 | #2,263 | 13 | #353 | 233 |
| 1935 | #3,742 | 6 | #311 | 305 |
| 1934 | #2,741 | 10 | #370 | 215 |
| 1933 | #2,868 | 9 | #362 | 224 |
| 1932 | #2,644 | 11 | #357 | 242 |
| 1931 | #2,581 | 11 | #364 | 237 |
| 1930 | #2,552 | 12 | #354 | 259 |
| 1929 | #2,301 | 14 | #333 | 277 |
| 1928 | #1,961 | 19 | #312 | 323 |
| 1927 | #2,433 | 14 | #330 | 300 |
| 1926 | #1,772 | 23 | #310 | 333 |
| 1925 | #2,119 | 18 | #299 | 367 |
| 1924 | #3,393 | 9 | #304 | 354 |
| 1923 | #2,169 | 17 | #291 | 370 |
| 1922 | #1,730 | 24 | #301 | 358 |
| 1921 | #2,120 | 18 | #291 | 373 |
| 1920 | #2,463 | 14 | #294 | 368 |
| 1919 | #1,698 | 23 | #273 | 373 |
| 1918 | #1,754 | 22 | #279 | 363 |
| 1917 | #1,708 | 21 | #281 | 339 |
| 1916 | #2,028 | 16 | #262 | 362 |
| 1915 | #1,738 | 19 | #249 | 362 |
| 1914 | #1,385 | 21 | #238 | 319 |
| 1913 | #1,883 | 11 | #222 | 280 |
| 1912 | #2,144 | 8 | #213 | 256 |
| 1911 | #2,463 | 5 | #146 | 230 |
| 1910 | #1,335 | 12 | #113 | 278 |
| 1909 | #1,607 | 8 | #99 | 267 |
| 1908 | #1,203 | 12 | #96 | 274 |
| 1907 | — | #96 | 260 | |
| 1906 | #1,553 | 7 | #92 | 253 |
| 1905 | #1,298 | 9 | #85 | 286 |
| 1904 | #1,486 | 7 | #81 | 287 |
| 1903 | — | #74 | 293 | |
| 1902 | #1,320 | 8 | #64 | 359 |
| 1901 | #1,339 | 7 | #53 | 364 |
| 1900 | #1,106 | 12 | #43 | 603 |
| 1899 | — | #48 | 414 | |
| 1898 | #1,263 | 8 | #48 | 475 |
| 1897 | #1,263 | 7 | #44 | 491 |
| 1896 | — | #44 | 508 | |
| 1895 | #1,426 | 6 | #44 | 485 |
| 1894 | — | #39 | 559 | |
| 1893 | — | #37 | 538 | |
| 1892 | #1,171 | 7 | #34 | 607 |
| 1891 | #1,332 | 5 | #34 | 520 |
| 1890 | — | #30 | 613 | |
| 1889 | #1,147 | 6 | #30 | 631 |
| 1888 | #1,276 | 5 | #28 | 707 |
| 1887 | #788 | 9 | #30 | 561 |
| 1886 | #993 | 6 | #27 | 642 |
| 1885 | #1,047 | 5 | #27 | 625 |
| 1884 | — | #28 | 650 | |
| 1883 | #920 | 5 | #29 | 576 |
| 1882 | #740 | 7 | #25 | 666 |
| 1881 | #679 | 7 | #26 | 550 |
| 1880 | — | #27 | 588 | |
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 1972
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Arkansas#264 · 1 in 2,137
- Mississippi#271 · 1 in 1,811
- Kentucky#325 · 1 in 3,791
- Georgia#350 · 1 in 3,118
- Alabama#374 · 1 in 3,948
Best ever in a state: #28 in Alabama, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | #264 | 7 | 1 in 2,137 |
| Mississippi | #271 | 11 | 1 in 1,811 |
| Kentucky | #325 | 7 | 1 in 3,791 |
| Georgia | #350 | 13 | 1 in 3,118 |
| Alabama | #374 | 7 | 1 in 3,948 |
| Arizona | #402 | 5 | 1 in 3,388 |
| Missouri | #425 | 6 | 1 in 5,856 |
| Virginia | #452 | 5 | 1 in 6,674 |
| Texas | #478 | 24 | 1 in 4,433 |
| North Carolina | #545 | 5 | 1 in 8,320 |
| Michigan | #595 | 6 | 1 in 11,483 |
| Florida | #596 | 6 | 1 in 8,415 |
| Ohio | #599 | 6 | 1 in 13,562 |
| California | #624 | 16 | 1 in 9,384 |
| Illinois | #828 | 5 | 1 in 16,547 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| 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
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,196 | #25 (1882) | #28 |
| 1890s | 5,210 | #30 (1890) | #40 |
| 1900s | 3,246 | #43 (1900) | #78 |
| 1910s | 3,162 | #113 (1910) | #228 |
| 1920s | 3,423 | #291 (1921) | #307 |
| 1930s | 2,402 | #311 (1935) | #357 |
| 1940s | 2,161 | #382 (1941) | #425 |
| 1950s | 1,999 | #445 (1950) | #518 |
| 1960s | 2,100 | #511 (1964) | #539 |
| 1970s | 2,232 | #505 (1979) | #543 |
| 1980s | 2,349 | #516 (1980) | #579 |
| 1990s | 2,927 | #505 (1999) | #609 |
| 2000s | 4,446 | #492 (2005) | #542 |
| 2010s | 2,978 | #622 (2010) | #788 |
| 2020s | 1,121 | #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 1972
boys
#585
185 births · 1 in 8,765 boys
Top boys' names in 1972
More about 1972
boys
1,621,608 boys got a published name in 1972; 1 in 8,765 of them was named Will, which outranked 89.8% of the 5,751 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).