Willa

#422 for girls in 2025, 742 births · Last seen for boys in 1937 at #3,175
Given to girls 99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1932 · 515 births
Debut · girls
12 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
32,824
since 1880

Willa over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Willa has never cracked the top 200 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201956peak #273, 1932girls
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#422742—
2024#423733—
2023#429721—
2022#395791—
2021#351887—
2020#349887—
2019#356889—
2018#383813—
2017#453699—
2016#461689—
2015#480675—
2014#551562—
2013#697406—
2012#716389—
2011#981261—
2010#951269—
2009#1,032252—
2008#1,057247—
2007#1,233201—
2006#1,788116—
2005#1,645121—
2004#1,89599—
2003#1,89696—
2002#1,84497—
2001#2,57159—
2000#2,63256—
1999#2,30764—
1998#2,84646—
1997#3,44833—
1996#3,30235—
1995#2,55249—
1994#2,58548—
1993#2,88241—
1992#3,50331—
1991#3,54030—
1990#3,81327—
1989#3,25332—
1988#3,09532—
1987#3,62424—
1986#3,05430—
1985#3,51724—
1984#2,51537—
1983#3,43123—
1982#3,17227—
1981#2,92830—
1980#3,41124—
1979#2,62134—
1978#2,62932—
1977#2,90927—
1976#3,00224—
1975#2,68028—
1974#2,68327—
1973#2,50629—
1972#2,22234—
1971#1,82848—
1970#1,78150—
1969#1,87144—
1968#1,85541—
1967#1,23974—
1966#1,23276—
1965#1,08992—
1964#1,032109—
1963#1,09998—
1962#911135—
1961#918138—
1960#851149—
1959#879139—
1958#783163—
1957#767169—
1956#703185—
1955#599237—
1954#603226—
1953#583229—
1952#508276—
1951#546238—
1950#506256—
1949#469293—
1948#530244—
1947#471303—
1946#447300—
1945#379344—
1944#360371—
1943#379364—
1942#338421—
1941#331400—
1940#329375—
1939#320375—
1938#329368—
1937#308405#3,1756
1936#281454—
1935#297414—
1934#278486—
1933#280462#3,2686
1932#273515#3,7765
1931#300450—
1930#291512—
1929#294494#3,2477
1928#299500—
1927#277566—
1926#287536—
1925#295521—
1924#307471—
1923#301457—
1922#318416—
1921#326407—
1920#317424—
1919#324382—
1918#311425—
1917#341336—
1916#348316—
1915#346292—
1914#332251—
1913#334208—
1912#344180—
1911#329145—
1910#340134—
1909#323123—
1908#36199—
1907#338106—
1906#33997—
1905#34992—
1904#34291—
1903#35579—
1902#38964—
1901#39755—
1900#36984—
1899#37161—
1898#39660—
1897#37958—
1896#35567—
1895#38453—
1894#42243—
1893#38748—
1892#37351—
1891#42335—
1890#35851—
1889#38140—
1888#38739—
1887#39031—
1886#38731—
1885#41325—
1884#52016—
1883#42320—
1882#47515—
1881#53910—
1880#49212—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Willa was already there! It came in at #492, and was given to 12 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1882, when fewer than 16 girls a year got the name.

Where Willa is popular in 1956

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMNIllinois: #661 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 10,491 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedWIMichigan: #712 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 13,427 girlsMINew York: #876 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 18,306 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedIAIndiana: #568 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 8,415 girlsINOhio: #590 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 9,761 girlsOHPennsylvania: #663 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 12,865 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNEMissouri: #464 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 5,598 girlsMOKentucky: #428 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,792 girlsKYWest Virginia: #337 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,844 girlsWVVirginia: #519 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 6,889 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedKSArkansas: #416 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,776 girlsARTennessee: #565 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,680 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #356 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 3,236 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #319 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,225 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #386 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,185 girlsOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedLAMississippi: #468 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,466 girlsMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedALGeorgia: #587 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 7,784 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedTXFlorida: #497 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 5,374 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. South Carolina#319 · 1 in 2,225
  2. West Virginia#337 · 1 in 2,844
  3. North Carolina#356 · 1 in 3,236
  4. Oklahoma#386 · 1 in 3,185
  5. Arkansas#416 · 1 in 3,776

Best ever in a state: #63 in Nebraska, 2019.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
South Carolina#319131 in 2,225
West Virginia#33771 in 2,844
North Carolina#356161 in 3,236
Oklahoma#38671 in 3,185
Arkansas#41651 in 3,776
Kentucky#42871 in 4,792
Missouri#46481 in 5,598
Mississippi#46861 in 4,466
Florida#49781 in 5,374
Virginia#51961 in 6,889
Tennessee#56551 in 7,680
Indiana#56861 in 8,415
Georgia#58761 in 7,784
Ohio#590111 in 9,761
Illinois#661101 in 10,491
Pennsylvania#66391 in 12,865
Michigan#71271 in 13,427
New York#87691 in 18,306
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
California———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Texas———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls 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 Willa
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#423 → #422)
  • 73 spots since 2020 (#349 → #422)
  • 58 spots since 2015 (#480 → #422)
  • Biggest jump: 265 spots in 2012 (#981 → #716)
  • Biggest drop: 188 spots in 1963 (#911 → #1,099)
Rise & fade · girls
52 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1932 at #273 (515 births)
  • Births halved by 1948, 16 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 99 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 99 yrs · run 1880–1962
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,822
  • Highest: 1 in 1,822 girls born in 2020 were named Willa (0.05%)
  • Latest: 1 in 2,166 girls born in 2025 (0.05%)
  • Its best rank, #273 in 1932, was only 1 in 2,072 (0.05%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 2010s
  • 17.2% of all girls named Willa (5,652) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s239#381 (1889)#441
1890s527#355 (1896)#385
1900s890#323 (1909)#356
1910s2,669#311 (1918)#335
1920s4,792#277 (1927)#302
1930s4,441#273 (1932)#296
1940s3,415#329 (1940)#403
1950s2,118#506 (1950)#648
1960s956#851 (1960)#1,210
1970s333#1,781 (1970)#2,486
1980s283#2,515 (1984)#3,200
1990s404#2,307 (1999)#3,078
2000s1,344#1,032 (2009)#1,759
2010s5,652#356 (2019)#603
2020s4,761#349 (2020)#395

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

Willa in 1956

girls
#703
185 births · 1 in 10,852 girls

Top girls' names in 1956

  1. #1Mary61,741
  2. #2Debra48,324
  3. #3Linda48,084
  4. #4Deborah47,834
  5. #5Susan46,558
  6. #6Patricia43,329
  7. #7Karen40,052
  8. #8Cynthia32,339
  9. #9Barbara32,302
  10. #10Donna29,852
  11. #703Willa185
More about 1956

girls

2,007,703 girls got a published name in 1956; 1 in 10,852 of them was named Willa, which outranked 89.8% of the 6,891 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Willa
  1. #700Kyle186
  2. #700Tommie186
  3. #700Vikki186
  4. #703Willa185
  5. #703Mariann185
  6. #705Maribeth184
  7. #705Tonia184
  8. #707Carmela183

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1955
Risers
  1. ↑ 993Sheena#1,839 → #846
  2. ↑ 770Glendora#1,733 → #963
  3. ↑ 684Leesa#1,209 → #525
  4. ↑ 543Marisa#1,074 → #531
  5. ↑ 537Dani#1,383 → #846
Fallers
  1. ↓ 513Sheilah#663 → #1,176
  2. ↓ 481Jeryl#768 → #1,249
  3. ↓ 344Jacalyn#496 → #840
  4. ↓ 325Roni#536 → #861
  5. ↓ 314Florine#984 → #1,298

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

See the top 100 for 1956 →