Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1993

Willy

Gender Boy · 3% girls Rank 2025 #4,041 Trend ↓ Falling 29%

Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname.

Rank 2025
#4,041
among boys · ↑382 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
27
named Willy · +13% vs 2024
How common
1 in 63,262
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1993
69 babies
All-time total
4,053
#2,120 all-time among boys
First recorded
1884
in Social Security records

Willy popularity over time

4,053 babies have been named Willy since 1884, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 5 5 1 – #1,122
1890s – 7 7 1 +40% #980
1900s – 21 21 2 +200% #1,001
1910s 16 115 131 13 +524% #1,531
1920s 24 196 220 22 +68% #1,590
1930s 12 243 255 26 +16% #1,287
1940s 43 282 325 33 +27% #1,159
1950s 10 326 336 34 +3% #1,140
1960s 5 420 425 43 +26% #1,023
1970s 6 379 385 39 -9% #1,200
1980s – 383 383 38 -1% #1,478
1990s – 535 535 54 +40% #1,406
2000s – 503 503 50 -6% #1,889
2010s – 352 352 35 -30% #2,768
2020s (to 2025) – 170 170 28 -20% #3,070

Where Willy 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 26 0.02 outside top 500
2027 25 0.01 outside top 500
2028 24 0.01 outside top 500
2029 23 0.01 outside top 500
2030 23 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Willy

Willy is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,041 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1884, 4,053 American babies have been named Willy. Its peak came in 1993, when 69 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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

How old are people named Willy?

The median living Willy is about 36 years old; half are between 21 and 57. An estimated 3,100 people named Willy are alive in the United States today.

median 36 020406080100

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

Willy 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 – – 27 #4,041
2024 – – 24 #4,423
2023 – – 20 #5,056
2022 – – 31 #3,686
2021 – – 30 #3,733
2020 – – 38 #3,070
2019 – – 29 #3,791
2018 – – 39 #3,051
2017 – – 26 #4,101
2016 – – 26 #4,089
2015 – – 30 #3,680
2014 – – 35 #3,229
2013 – – 38 #2,996
2012 – – 44 #2,768
2011 – – 41 #2,902
2010 – – 44 #2,784
2009 – – 48 #2,621
2008 – – 60 #2,236
2007 – – 49 #2,562
2006 – – 47 #2,575
2005 – – 48 #2,431
2004 – – 48 #2,374
2003 – – 49 #2,235
2002 – – 46 #2,292
2001 – – 59 #1,889
2000 – – 49 #2,084
1995 – – 48 #1,838
1990 – – 63 #1,419
1985 – – 42 #1,568
1980 – – 34 #1,724
1975 – – 32 #1,628
1970 – – 33 #1,492
1965 – – 47 #1,092
1960 – – 52 #1,082
1955 5 #6,717 26 #1,537
1950 – – 28 #1,392
1945 – – 29 #1,248
1940 6 #4,337 27 #1,310
1935 – – 24 #1,420
1930 – – 28 #1,398
1925 – – 20 #1,803
1920 5 #5,747 24 #1,590
1915 – – 16 #1,875
1910 – – 6 #1,586
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Willy

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

  1. 1 Willy Brandt Willy Brandt Chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974 1913–1992 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Willy Sagnol Willy Sagnol French footballer and manager (born 1977) Contemporary
  3. 3 Willy Boly Willy Boly Ivorian footballer (born 1991) Contemporary
  4. 4 Willy DeVille Willy DeVille American singer-songwriter (1950–2009) Contemporary
  5. 5 Willy Hernangómez Willy Hernangómez Spanish basketball player (born 1994) Contemporary
  6. 6 Willy Messerschmitt Willy Messerschmitt German aircraft designer and manufacturer (1898–1978) 19th century
  7. 7 Willy van de Kerkhof Willy van de Kerkhof Dutch former footballer (born 1951) Contemporary
  8. 8 Willy William Willy William French DJ (born 1979) b. 1981 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Willy van der Kuijlen Willy van der Kuijlen Dutch footballer and scout (1946–2021) Contemporary
  10. 10 Willy Aubameyang Willy Aubameyang Gabonese footballer (born 1987) Contemporary
  11. 11 Willy Claes Willy Claes Belgian politician b. 1938 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Willy Ley Willy Ley German and American writer (1906–1969) Contemporary
  13. 13 Willy Mairesse Willy Mairesse Belgian racing driver (1928–1969) Contemporary
  14. 14 Willy Vandersteen Willy Vandersteen Flemish comics author (1913–1990) Contemporary
  15. 15 Willy Fritsch Willy Fritsch German-Silesian actor (1901-1973) Contemporary
  16. 16 Willy Ronis Willy Ronis French photographer 1910–2009 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Willy De Clercq Willy De Clercq Belgian politician 1927–2011 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Willy Böckl Willy Böckl Austrian figure skater (1893–1975) 19th century
  19. 19 Willy Kernen Willy Kernen Swiss footballer (1929-2009) Contemporary
  20. 20 Willy Busch German footballer 1907–1982 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Willy?

The median living Willy is about 36 years old. Half of all living Willys are between 21 and 57 years old.

How many people named Willy are alive today?

An estimated 3,100 people named Willy are alive in the United States, based on 4,053 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Willy mean?

Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname.

How popular is the name Willy in 2025?

Willy ranked #4,041 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Willy?

4,053 babies have been named Willy in the United States since 1884, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Willy most popular?

Willy peaked in 1993, when 69 newborns received the name.

Is Willy a boy or girl name?

Willy is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Willy rising or falling?

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

Will Willy become more popular?

Willy is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 23 boys named Willy 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 Willy?

Well-known people named Willy include Willy Brandt (politician), Willy Sagnol (soccer player), Willy Boly (soccer player).

Names like Willy

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

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