Willis

Last seen for girls in 1989 at #12,362 · #2,539 for boys in 2025, 52 births
Given to boys 98.5% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1880 · 166 births
Debut · boys
166 births
In top 100 · boys
3 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
52,336
since 1880

Willis over time

boys

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

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201934peak #86, 1880boys
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—#2,53952
2024—#2,63750
2023—#2,31560
2022—#2,87344
2021—#2,25362
2020—#2,21262
2019—#2,58250
2018—#2,38555
2017—#2,49351
2016—#2,02870
2015—#1,95574
2014—#1,82881
2013—#1,87875
2012—#1,86378
2011—#1,88674
2010—#2,40252
2009—#2,07766
2008—#2,23759
2007—#1,81180
2006—#1,75879
2005—#1,92266
2004—#1,88065
2003—#1,61178
2002—#1,68270
2001—#1,48182
2000—#1,241107
1999—#1,181109
1998—#1,172106
1997—#1,22795
1996—#1,071113
1995—#1,040115
1994—#1,017119
1993—#953127
1992—#956126
1991—#809163
1990—#804159
1989#12,3625#770166
1988—#692183
1987—#703169
1986—#680176
1985—#642186
1984—#624186
1983—#601203
1982—#570227
1981—#607199
1980—#573228
1979—#563233
1978—#573214
1977—#548232
1976—#609181
1975—#566203
1974—#568199
1973—#571193
1972—#502245
1971—#513253
1970—#500260
1969—#515227
1968—#498230
1967—#486237
1966—#482254
1965#6,5395#449300
1964—#445324
1963#4,5399#432340
1962—#415375
1961#4,8828#419357
1960—#389414
1959#6,2455#395407
1958—#383416
1957#4,5368#361447
1956#3,32113#350444
1955#3,77810#343452
1954—#337447
1953#5,0406#321480
1952#4,9086#314513
1951#2,57716#309504
1950#3,23511#313476
1949#5,2445#310479
1948#4,6516#278584
1947#3,24011#279600
1946#2,22818#259584
1945#4,5565#231579
1944#3,3788#219623
1943#2,07918#208752
1942#2,53713#219666
1941#2,66811#201685
1940#4,3495#209609
1939#2,41712#191693
1938#2,34013#187731
1937#1,67921#184724
1936#1,87317#175768
1935#1,60622#173789
1934#1,77119#166867
1933#1,90617#170812
1932#1,68521#165911
1931#1,68621#160931
1930#1,93418#159965
1929#1,82520#1501,030
1928#1,83721#1481,085
1927#1,52329#1491,058
1926#1,44931#1401,233
1925#1,79523#1391,198
1924#2,40915#1361,261
1923#1,42832#1381,183
1922#1,68225#1331,250
1921#1,72325#1331,209
1920#2,01519#1331,197
1919#1,44529#1311,136
1918#2,10217#1411,091
1917#1,50725#140954
1916#1,80519#136990
1915#2,05015#137950
1914#2,4349#135743
1913#2,03410#135573
1912#1,71911#141453
1911#1,24114#143233
1910#1,9357#149216
1909#1,29011#139189
1908#1,6767#146161
1907—#156146
1906—#139148
1905—#151136
1904—#144136
1903—#141133
1902—#134144
1901#1,1369#149106
1900—#134169
1899#1,2787#128126
1898—#143121
1897—#124132
1896—#120145
1895—#124135
1894—#118133
1893—#112149
1892—#119143
1891—#117118
1890—#118129
1889—#115124
1888—#119135
1887#1,1475#117113
1886—#103150
1885—#106133
1884—#100151
1883—#103131
1882—#104143
1881—#93142
1880—#86166
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Willis was already there! It came in at #86, and was given to 166 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2017–2025, when fewer than 63 boys a year got the name.

Where Willis is popular in 1934

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedAKMaine: #181 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,254 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNHWashington: #136 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 794 boysWAIdaho: #153 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 744 boysIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #123 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 591 boysNDMinnesota: #157 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,172 boysMNIllinois: #176 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 1,454 boysILWisconsin: #163 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,442 boysWIMichigan: #213 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,196 boysMINew York: #246 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 3,480 boysNYMassachusetts: #257 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 5,677 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #103 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 412 boysSDIowa: #154 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 948 boysIAIndiana: #172 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,432 boysINOhio: #186 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,765 boysOHPennsylvania: #146 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 1,386 boysPANew Jersey: #221 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,417 boysNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #240 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,093 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedUTColorado: #167 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,011 boysCONebraska: #117 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 538 boysNEMissouri: #181 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 1,308 boysMOKentucky: #108 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 564 boysKYWest Virginia: #91 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 510 boysWVVirginia: #145 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 781 boysVAMaryland: #165 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,611 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNMKansas: #106 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 492 boysKSArkansas: #119 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 645 boysARTennessee: #118 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 710 boysTNNorth Carolina: #117 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 651 boysNCSouth Carolina: #142 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 840 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #152 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 783 boysOKLouisiana: #148 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 759 boysLAMississippi: #157 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 933 boysMSAlabama: #130 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 772 boysALGeorgia: #103 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 544 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedHITexas: #264 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 1,664 boysTXFlorida: #159 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 976 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. West Virginia#91 · 1 in 510
  2. South Dakota#103 · 1 in 412
  3. Georgia#103 · 1 in 544
  4. Kansas#106 · 1 in 492
  5. Kentucky#108 · 1 in 564

Best ever in a state: #57 in Delaware, 1919.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
West Virginia#91351 in 510
Georgia#103531 in 544
South Dakota#103131 in 412
Kansas#106281 in 492
Kentucky#108471 in 564
Nebraska#117201 in 538
North Carolina#117531 in 651
Tennessee#118361 in 710
Arkansas#119281 in 645
North Dakota#123101 in 591
Alabama#130361 in 772
Washington#136121 in 794
South Carolina#142231 in 840
Virginia#145281 in 781
Pennsylvania#146511 in 1,386
Louisiana#148251 in 759
Oklahoma#152291 in 783
Idaho#15351 in 744
Iowa#154201 in 948
Minnesota#157171 in 1,172
Mississippi#157211 in 933
Florida#159121 in 976
Wisconsin#163161 in 1,442
Maryland#16571 in 1,611
Colorado#16781 in 1,011
Indiana#172161 in 1,432
Illinois#176351 in 1,454
Maine#18151 in 1,254
Missouri#181211 in 1,308
Ohio#186261 in 1,765
Michigan#213171 in 2,196
New Jersey#22171 in 3,417
California#240171 in 2,093
New York#246241 in 3,480
Massachusetts#25751 in 5,677
Texas#264351 in 1,664
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
Utah———
Vermont———
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 Willis
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 98 spots since 2024 (#2,637 → #2,539)
  • 327 spots since 2020 (#2,212 → #2,539)
  • 584 spots since 2015 (#1,955 → #2,539)
  • Biggest jump: 61 spots in 1977 (#609 → #548)
  • Biggest drop: 147 spots in 1992 (#809 → #956)
Rise & fade · boys
Peaked on debut
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1880 at #86 (166 births)
  • Births halved by 2001, 121 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 3 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 3 yrs · run 1880–1881
  • Top 1,000: 114 yrs · run 1880–1993
Share of babies · boys
1 in 666
  • Highest: 1 in 666 boys born in 1880 were named Willis (0.15%)
  • Latest: 1 in 32,848 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 22.4% of all boys named Willis (11,704) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,388#86 (1880)#105
1890s1,331#112 (1893)#122
1900s1,468#134 (1900)#143
1910s7,339#131 (1919)#139
1920s11,704#133 (1922)#140
1930s8,191#159 (1930)#173
1940s6,161#201 (1941)#241
1950s4,586#309 (1951)#343
1960s3,058#389 (1960)#453
1970s2,213#500 (1970)#551
1980s1,923#570 (1982)#646
1990s1,232#804 (1990)#1,023
2000s752#1,241 (2000)#1,770
2010s660#1,828 (2014)#2,130
2020s330#2,212 (2020)#2,472

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.

Willis in 1934

girls
#1,771
19 births · 1 in 54,959 girls
boys
#166
867 births · 1 in 1,191 boys

Top girls' names in 1934

  1. #1Mary56,929
  2. #2Betty31,089
  3. #3Barbara29,239
  4. #4Shirley22,841
  5. #5Dorothy21,281
  6. #6Patricia20,844
  7. #7Joan19,465
  8. #8Margaret15,144
  9. #9Helen14,100
  10. #10Nancy13,520
  11. #1,771Willis19

Top boys' names in 1934

  1. #1Robert55,843
  2. #2James54,270
  3. #3John46,743
  4. #4William40,175
  5. #5Richard33,167
  6. #6Donald30,408
  7. #7Charles29,790
  8. #8George18,500
  9. #9Thomas17,373
  10. #10Joseph17,111
  11. #166Willis867
More about 1934

girls

1,044,225 girls got a published name in 1934; 1 in 54,959 of them was named Willis, which outranked 64.4% of the 4,973 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Willis
  1. #1,697Verlyn20
  2. #1,697Verma20
  3. #1,697Wilhelmena20
  4. #1,771Willis19
  5. #1,771Arizona19
  6. #1,771Arlis19
  7. #1,771Arva19
  8. #1,834Alla18
  9. #1,834Alvena18
  10. #1,834Amaryllis18

Tied with 62 names at #1,771; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1933
Risers
  1. ↑ 571Luann#1,442 → #871
  2. ↑ 469Alison#1,442 → #973
  3. ↑ 439Golda#1,364 → #925
  4. ↑ 350Ronald#1,244 → #894
  5. ↑ 346Gale#1,102 → #756
Fallers
  1. ↓ 685Nira#463 → #1,148
  2. ↓ 342Vina#782 → #1,124
  3. ↓ 316Zita#947 → #1,263
  4. ↓ 299Myrtie#834 → #1,133
  5. ↓ 278Theola#985 → #1,263

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

boys

1,032,596 boys got a published name in 1934; 1 in 1,191 of them was named Willis, which outranked 96.1% of the 4,205 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Willis
  1. #163Delbert894
  2. #164Carroll874
  3. #165Nicholas873
  4. #166Willis867
  5. #167Luther862
  6. #168Tony841
  7. #169Ben831
Biggest movers since 1933
Risers
  1. ↑ 746Lanny#1,361 → #615
  2. ↑ 630Kerry#1,586 → #956
  3. ↑ 620Marland#1,456 → #836
  4. ↑ 404Kirk#1,202 → #798
  5. ↑ 350Valentin#1,281 → #931
Fallers
  1. ↓ 730Neville#995 → #1,725
  2. ↓ 616Garner#770 → #1,386
  3. ↓ 520Vivian#905 → #1,425
  4. ↓ 488Finis#869 → #1,357
  5. ↓ 464Malcom#961 → #1,425

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

See the top 100 for 1934 →