Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2003

Willem

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,601 Trend ↓ Falling 20%
Rank 2025
#2,601
among boys · ↑70 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
51
named Willem · +2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 33,492
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2003
122 babies
All-time total
2,840
#2,638 all-time among boys
First recorded
1916
in Social Security records

Willem popularity over time

2,840 babies have been named Willem since 1916, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2003Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 8 1 – #3,169
1920s 18 2 +125% #3,441
1930s 5 1 -72% #4,270
1940s 5 1 0% #3,990
1950s 30 3 +500% #3,025
1960s 71 7 +137% #2,757
1970s 62 6 -13% #3,140
1980s 112 11 +81% #2,205
1990s 443 44 +296% #1,516
2000s 1,002 100 +126% #1,208
2010s 743 74 -26% #1,724
2020s (to 2025) 341 57 -24% #1,997

Where Willem 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 49 0.03 outside top 500
2027 48 0.03 outside top 500
2028 46 0.03 outside top 500
2029 45 0.03 outside top 500
2030 45 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Willem

Willem is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,601 in 2025 with 51 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1916, 2,840 American babies have been named Willem. Its peak came in 2003, when 122 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Willem stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Willem?

The median living Willem is about 19 years old; half are between 11 and 25. An estimated 2,700 people named Willem are alive in the United States today.

median 19 020406080100

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

Willem year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 51 #2,601
2024 50 #2,671
2023 51 #2,608
2022 54 #2,561
2021 75 #1,997
2020 60 #2,289
2019 76 #1,951
2018 62 #2,229
2017 56 #2,343
2016 70 #2,045
2015 67 #2,108
2014 87 #1,750
2013 86 #1,724
2012 82 #1,814
2011 74 #1,902
2010 83 #1,792
2009 71 #1,989
2008 98 #1,612
2007 105 #1,515
2006 103 #1,490
2005 107 #1,401
2004 112 #1,326
2003 122 #1,208
2002 109 #1,255
2001 79 #1,542
2000 96 #1,340
1995 35 #2,294
1990 27 #2,552
1985 8 #5,133
1980 8 #4,927
1975 12 #3,240
1970 6 #4,717
1965 5 #4,421
1960 8 #3,331
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Willem

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

  1. 1 Willem Dafoe Willem Dafoe American actor (born 1955) Contemporary
  2. 2 Willem de Kooning Willem de Kooning Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist (1904–1997) Contemporary
  3. 3 Willem Barentsz Willem Barentsz Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer (c. 1550 – 1597) 16th century
  4. 4 Willem Janszoon Dutch navigator and colonial governor (c. 1570 – c. 1630) 16th century
  5. 5 Willem Drees Willem Drees Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1958 1886–1988 · 19th century
  6. 6 Willem van Hanegem Willem van Hanegem Dutch former footballer and manager b. 1944 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Willem Einthoven Willem Einthoven Dutch physiologist (1860–1927) 19th century
  8. 8 Willem Johan Kolff Dutch medical researcher (1911–2009) Contemporary
  9. 9 Willem de Sitter Willem de Sitter Dutch mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (1872–1934) 19th century
  10. 10 Willem van de Velde the Younger Willem van de Velde the Younger Dutch painter 1633–1707 · 17th century
  11. 11 Willem de Vlamingh Willem de Vlamingh Dutch sea captain and explorer (1640–1702) 17th century
  12. 12 Willem Blaeu Willem Blaeu Dutch cartographer, atlas maker and publisher (1571–1638) 16th century
  13. 13 Willem Claesz. Heda Willem Claesz. Heda Dutch Golden Age painter of still-lifes 1594–1680 · 16th century
  14. 14 Willem Schouten Willem Schouten Dutch navigator (c. 1567–1625) 16th century
  15. 15 Willem Mengelberg Willem Mengelberg Dutch conductor (1871–1951) 19th century
  16. 16 Willem Frederik Hermans Willem Frederik Hermans Dutch writer (1921–1995) Contemporary
  17. 17 Willem 's Gravesande Willem 's Gravesande Dutch mathematician and philosopher (1688–1742) 17th century
  18. 18 Willem Schermerhorn Politician, Netherlands 1894–1977 · 19th century
  19. 19 Willem Kalf Willem Kalf Dutch still-life painter (1619–1693) 17th century
  20. 20 Willem Drost Willem Drost Dutch painter 1633–1659 · 17th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Willem?

The median living Willem is about 19 years old. Half of all living Willems are between 11 and 25 years old.

How many people named Willem are alive today?

An estimated 2,700 people named Willem are alive in the United States, based on 2,840 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Willem in 2025?

Willem ranked #2,601 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 51 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Willem?

2,840 babies have been named Willem in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Willem most popular?

Willem peaked in 2003, when 122 newborns received the name.

Is Willem a boy or girl name?

Willem is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Willem rising or falling?

Willem is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Willem become more popular?

Willem is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 45 boys named Willem in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Willem?

Well-known people named Willem include Willem Dafoe (actor), Willem de Kooning (painter), Willem Barentsz (explorer).

Names like Willem

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

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