Will

Last seen for girls in 1978 at #9,750 · #1,193 for boys in 2025, 170 births
Given to boys 98.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1882 · 666 births
Debut · boys
588 births
In top 100 · boys
30 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
45,952
since 1880

Will over time

boys

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

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201922peak #25, 1882boys
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—#1,193170
2024—#1,286153
2023—#1,137185
2022—#1,156178
2021—#1,067200
2020—#935235
2019—#981217
2018—#894242
2017—#899239
2016—#823277
2015—#831270
2014—#754313
2013—#740315
2012—#671352
2011—#662357
2010—#622396
2009—#577457
2008—#585432
2007—#563457
2006—#533473
2005—#492503
2004—#528452
2003—#535433
2002—#549403
2001—#550389
2000—#510447
1999—#505422
1998—#578339
1997—#632268
1996—#620280
1995—#635266
1994—#659248
1993—#628268
1992—#651252
1991—#593295
1990—#590289
1989—#589277
1988—#605241
1987—#593233
1986—#625204
1985—#615201
1984—#592204
1983—#564223
1982—#527262
1981—#560233
1980—#516271
1979—#505273
1978#9,7505#544232
1977—#556226
1976—#538224
1975—#535224
1974—#533224
1973—#542207
1972—#585185
1971—#564207
1970—#532230
1969—#566192
1968—#520213
1967—#585167
1966—#531205
1965—#547196
1964—#511235
1963—#515242
1962—#557200
1961—#529225
1960—#527225
1959—#545207
1958—#572183
1957#5,3776#524217
1956—#547192
1955—#583158
1954#3,9679#503207
1953—#486209
1952—#484211
1951#4,8336#490191
1950#4,7386#445224
1949—#449220
1948—#434238
1947#4,7646#466209
1946—#442207
1945—#431191
1944#4,0546#396235
1943#3,2499#439205
1942#3,1949#413221
1941#3,9546#382226
1940#4,3495#396209
1939#3,1458#377226
1938#2,73010#371231
1937#2,19614#355230
1936#2,26313#353233
1935#3,7426#311305
1934#2,74110#370215
1933#2,8689#362224
1932#2,64411#357242
1931#2,58111#364237
1930#2,55212#354259
1929#2,30114#333277
1928#1,96119#312323
1927#2,43314#330300
1926#1,77223#310333
1925#2,11918#299367
1924#3,3939#304354
1923#2,16917#291370
1922#1,73024#301358
1921#2,12018#291373
1920#2,46314#294368
1919#1,69823#273373
1918#1,75422#279363
1917#1,70821#281339
1916#2,02816#262362
1915#1,73819#249362
1914#1,38521#238319
1913#1,88311#222280
1912#2,1448#213256
1911#2,4635#146230
1910#1,33512#113278
1909#1,6078#99267
1908#1,20312#96274
1907—#96260
1906#1,5537#92253
1905#1,2989#85286
1904#1,4867#81287
1903—#74293
1902#1,3208#64359
1901#1,3397#53364
1900#1,10612#43603
1899—#48414
1898#1,2638#48475
1897#1,2637#44491
1896—#44508
1895#1,4266#44485
1894—#39559
1893—#37538
1892#1,1717#34607
1891#1,3325#34520
1890—#30613
1889#1,1476#30631
1888#1,2765#28707
1887#7889#30561
1886#9936#27642
1885#1,0475#27625
1884—#28650
1883#9205#29576
1882#7407#25666
1881#6797#26550
1880—#27588
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Will was already there! It came in at #27, and was given to 588 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2021–2025, when fewer than 210 boys a year got the name.

Where Will is popular in 1922

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMNIllinois: #497 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 11,098 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #418 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,014 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMOKentucky: #176 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 1,178 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedWVVirginia: #333 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,442 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedKSArkansas: #191 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,106 boysARTennessee: #108 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 631 boysTNNorth Carolina: #273 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,427 boysNCSouth Carolina: #205 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,608 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #239 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,519 boysLAMississippi: #67 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 344 boysMSAlabama: #104 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 546 boysALGeorgia: #130 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 769 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Will, so not publishedHITexas: #221 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 1,217 boysTXFlorida: #181 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,159 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#67 · 1 in 344
  2. Alabama#104 · 1 in 546
  3. Tennessee#108 · 1 in 631
  4. Georgia#130 · 1 in 769
  5. Kentucky#176 · 1 in 1,178

Best ever in a state: #28 in Alabama, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#67561 in 344
Alabama#104491 in 546
Tennessee#108391 in 631
Georgia#130401 in 769
Kentucky#176221 in 1,178
Florida#18191 in 1,159
Arkansas#191161 in 1,106
South Carolina#205131 in 1,608
Texas#221431 in 1,217
Louisiana#239131 in 1,519
North Carolina#273141 in 2,427
Virginia#33371 in 3,442
California#41861 in 5,014
Illinois#49751 in 11,098
Alaska———
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Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Indiana———
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Kansas———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
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New Mexico———
New York———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
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West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
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 Will
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 93 spots since 2024 (#1,286 → #1,193)
  • 258 spots since 2020 (#935 → #1,193)
  • 362 spots since 2015 (#831 → #1,193)
  • Biggest jump: 73 spots in 1999 (#578 → #505)
  • Biggest drop: 132 spots in 2021 (#935 → #1,067)
Rise & fade · boys
2 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1882 at #25 (666 births)
  • Births halved by 1903, 21 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 30 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 30 yrs · run 1880–1909
  • Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1880–2020
Share of babies · boys
1 in 171
  • Highest: 1 in 171 boys born in 1882 were named Will (0.59%)
  • Latest: 1 in 10,048 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · boys
The 1880s
  • 13.5% of all boys named Will (6,196) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s6,196#25 (1882)#28
1890s5,210#30 (1890)#40
1900s3,246#43 (1900)#78
1910s3,162#113 (1910)#228
1920s3,423#291 (1921)#307
1930s2,402#311 (1935)#357
1940s2,161#382 (1941)#425
1950s1,999#445 (1950)#518
1960s2,100#511 (1964)#539
1970s2,232#505 (1979)#543
1980s2,349#516 (1980)#579
1990s2,927#505 (1999)#609
2000s4,446#492 (2005)#542
2010s2,978#622 (2010)#788
2020s1,121#935 (2020)#1,129

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.

Will in 1922

girls
#1,730
24 births · 1 in 50,042 girls
boys
#301
358 births · 1 in 3,040 boys

Top girls' names in 1922

  1. #1Mary72,177
  2. #2Dorothy37,716
  3. #3Helen32,510
  4. #4Margaret26,862
  5. #5Ruth23,633
  6. #6Betty20,895
  7. #7Virginia19,144
  8. #8Mildred16,412
  9. #9Elizabeth15,244
  10. #10Frances15,054
  11. #1,730Will24

Top boys' names in 1922

  1. #1John57,280
  2. #2Robert53,796
  3. #3William51,111
  4. #4James49,802
  5. #5Charles28,839
  6. #6George27,350
  7. #7Joseph25,699
  8. #8Edward20,419
  9. #9Richard17,537
  10. #10Frank16,013
  11. #301Will358
More about 1922

girls

1,201,003 girls got a published name in 1922; 1 in 50,042 of them was named Will, which outranked 70.1% of the 5,789 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Will
  1. #1,682Williemae25
  2. #1,682Willis25
  3. #1,682Zada25
  4. #1,730Will24
  5. #1,730Alena24
  6. #1,730Alfrieda24
  7. #1,730Anastacia24
  8. #1,785Adel23
  9. #1,785Adline23
  10. #1,785Alfred23

Tied with 54 names at #1,730; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1921
Risers
  1. ↑ 626Lilia#1,543 → #917
  2. ↑ 573Leatrice#1,258 → #685
  3. ↑ 412Phylis#1,409 → #997
  4. ↑ 352Darleen#1,258 → #906
  5. ↑ 295Madlyn#1,136 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 518Erlene#946 → #1,464
  2. ↓ 390Exie#879 → #1,269
  3. ↓ 327Arlyne#905 → #1,232
  4. ↓ 288Toby#964 → #1,252
  5. ↓ 265Rochelle#987 → #1,252

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

boys

1,088,154 boys got a published name in 1922; 1 in 3,040 of them was named Will, which outranked 93.9% of the 4,967 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.0% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Will
  1. #298Dick363
  2. #299Irwin362
  3. #300Ruben361
  4. #301Will358
  5. #301Thurman358
  6. #303Elton356
  7. #304Monroe354
  8. #305Ramon352

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1921
Risers
  1. ↑ 520Desmond#1,360 → #840
  2. ↑ 504Gorden#1,226 → #722
  3. ↑ 418Jackie#1,140 → #722
  4. ↑ 417Daryl#843 → #426
  5. ↑ 361Brown#1,360 → #999
Fallers
  1. ↓ 600Adolf#991 → #1,591
  2. ↓ 508Nello#962 → #1,470
  3. ↓ 439Newman#843 → #1,282
  4. ↓ 394Marcos#939 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 343Porfirio#939 → #1,282

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

See the top 100 for 1922 →