Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1915

Willard

Meaning will Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,760 Trend → Stable

From Old English wil (“will”) + heard (“brave, strong”).

Rank 2025
#2,760
among boys · ↑239 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
47
named Willard · +12% vs 2024
How common
1 in 36,342
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1915
2,924 babies
All-time total
78,542
#376 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Willard popularity over time

78,542 babies have been named Willard since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
123418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 939 939 94 – #128
1890s 12 1,240 1,252 125 +33% #116
1900s 78 1,821 1,899 190 +52% #112
1910s 276 15,364 15,640 1,564 +724% #58
1920s 252 18,440 18,692 1,869 +20% #88
1930s 144 12,460 12,604 1,260 -33% #117
1940s 66 10,603 10,669 1,067 -15% #151
1950s 28 7,032 7,060 706 -34% #219
1960s 28 4,289 4,317 432 -39% #333
1970s – 2,262 2,262 226 -48% #435
1980s – 1,206 1,206 121 -47% #679
1990s – 748 748 75 -38% #1,134
2000s – 568 568 57 -24% #1,814
2010s – 440 440 44 -23% #2,386
2020s (to 2025) – 246 246 41 -7% #2,760

Where Willard is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 47 0.03 outside top 500
2027 47 0.03 outside top 500
2028 47 0.03 outside top 500
2029 47 0.03 outside top 500
2030 47 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Willard

Willard is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,760 in 2025 with 47 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 78,542 American babies have been named Willard. Its peak came in 1915, when 2,924 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Willard stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Willard?

The median living Willard is about 70 years old; half are between 56 and 79. An estimated 22 thousand people named Willard are alive in the United States today.

median 70 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Willard year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 47 #2,760
2024 – – 42 #2,999
2023 – – 43 #2,946
2022 – – 41 #3,051
2021 – – 29 #3,809
2020 – – 44 #2,804
2019 – – 46 #2,763
2018 – – 50 #2,577
2017 – – 55 #2,386
2016 – – 47 #2,660
2015 – – 44 #2,763
2014 – – 35 #3,228
2013 – – 31 #3,493
2012 – – 47 #2,628
2011 – – 36 #3,163
2010 – – 49 #2,553
2009 – – 40 #2,988
2008 – – 57 #2,324
2007 – – 48 #2,599
2006 – – 56 #2,283
2005 – – 60 #2,080
2004 – – 63 #1,952
2003 – – 59 #1,985
2002 – – 64 #1,815
2001 – – 61 #1,840
2000 – – 60 #1,814
1995 – – 83 #1,299
1990 – – 91 #1,134
1985 – – 105 #888
1980 – – 164 #679
1975 – – 229 #531
1970 – – 350 #435
1965 – – 413 #381
1960 5 #7,307 543 #333
1955 – – 723 #257
1950 5 #6,094 841 #219
1945 6 #4,546 957 #172
1940 10 #2,957 1,140 #151
1935 13 #2,436 1,214 #132
1930 21 #1,812 1,537 #117
1925 29 #1,574 1,795 #97
1920 31 #1,469 2,089 #88
1915 35 #1,170 2,889 #58
1910 10 #1,631 265 #121
1905 14 #1,055 180 #119
1900 9 #1,426 172 #132
1895 – – 113 #138
1890 – – 89 #160
1885 – – 95 #144
1880 – – 88 #158

Famous people named Willard

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Willard Scott Willard Scott American weather presenter and television personality (1934–2021) Contemporary
  2. 2 Willard Van Orman Quine Willard Van Orman Quine American philosopher and logician (1908–2000) Contemporary
  3. 3 Willard Libby Willard Libby American physical chemist (1908–1980) Contemporary
  4. 4 Willard Boyle Willard Boyle Canadian physicist (1924–2011) Contemporary
  5. 5 Willard Metcalf Willard Metcalf American painter 1858–1925 · 19th century
  6. 6 Willard Schmidt American basketball player (1910–1965) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Willard, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Willard?

The median living Willard is about 70 years old. Half of all living Willards are between 56 and 79 years old.

How many people named Willard are alive today?

An estimated 22 thousand people named Willard are alive in the United States, based on 78,542 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Willard mean?

From Old English wil (“will”) + heard (“brave, strong”).

How popular is the name Willard in 2025?

Willard ranked #2,760 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 47 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Willard?

78,542 babies have been named Willard in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Willard most popular?

Willard peaked in 1915, when 2,924 newborns received the name.

Is Willard a boy or girl name?

Willard is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Willard rising or falling?

Willard is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Willard become more popular?

Willard looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 47 boys named Willard in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Willard?

Well-known people named Willard include Willard Scott (actor), Willard Van Orman Quine (philosopher), Willard Libby (chemist).

Names like Willard

Names that sound and feel close to Willard: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Willard with similar names → More names starting with W →