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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202021peak #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 2021

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMARhode 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: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #2,214 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 31,563 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMDDelaware: 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: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Willis, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. California#2,214 · 1 in 31,563

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
California#2,21461 in 31,563
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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 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 2021

boys
#2,253
62 births · 1 in 28,217 boys

Top boys' names in 2021

  1. #1Liam20,424
  2. #2Noah18,919
  3. #3Oliver14,713
  4. #4Elijah12,845
  5. #5James12,474
  6. #6William12,170
  7. #7Benjamin11,895
  8. #8Lucas11,584
  9. #9Henry11,370
  10. #10Theodore9,600
  11. #2,253Willis62
More about 2021

boys

1,749,482 boys got a published name in 2021; 1 in 28,217 of them was named Willis, which outranked 84.0% of the 14,096 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 7.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Willis
  1. #2,225Nilan63
  2. #2,225Nyjah63
  3. #2,225Raleigh63
  4. #2,253Willis62
  5. #2,253Adriano62
  6. #2,253Amaru62
  7. #2,253Athan62
  8. #2,277Alastair61
  9. #2,277Aman61
  10. #2,277Austyn61

Tied with 23 names at #2,253; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2020
Risers
  1. ↑ 536Amiri#1,295 → #759
  2. ↑ 438Eliam#1,177 → #739
  3. ↑ 343Colter#972 → #629
  4. ↑ 333Ozzy#1,046 → #713
  5. ↑ 299Loyal#1,053 → #754
Fallers
  1. ↓ 352Jaxtyn#585 → #937
  2. ↓ 259Karsyn#698 → #957
  3. ↓ 231Xzavier#976 → #1,207
  4. ↓ 208Tristen#846 → #1,054
  5. ↓ 208Willie#992 → #1,200

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

See the top 100 for 2021 →