Willa

#422 for girls in 2025, 742 births · Last seen for boys in 1937 at #3,175
Given to girls 99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1932 · 515 births
Debut · girls
12 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
32,824
since 1880

Willa over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Willa has never cracked the top 200 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201916peak #273, 1932girls
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#422742
2024#423733
2023#429721
2022#395791
2021#351887
2020#349887
2019#356889
2018#383813
2017#453699
2016#461689
2015#480675
2014#551562
2013#697406
2012#716389
2011#981261
2010#951269
2009#1,032252
2008#1,057247
2007#1,233201
2006#1,788116
2005#1,645121
2004#1,89599
2003#1,89696
2002#1,84497
2001#2,57159
2000#2,63256
1999#2,30764
1998#2,84646
1997#3,44833
1996#3,30235
1995#2,55249
1994#2,58548
1993#2,88241
1992#3,50331
1991#3,54030
1990#3,81327
1989#3,25332
1988#3,09532
1987#3,62424
1986#3,05430
1985#3,51724
1984#2,51537
1983#3,43123
1982#3,17227
1981#2,92830
1980#3,41124
1979#2,62134
1978#2,62932
1977#2,90927
1976#3,00224
1975#2,68028
1974#2,68327
1973#2,50629
1972#2,22234
1971#1,82848
1970#1,78150
1969#1,87144
1968#1,85541
1967#1,23974
1966#1,23276
1965#1,08992
1964#1,032109
1963#1,09998
1962#911135
1961#918138
1960#851149
1959#879139
1958#783163
1957#767169
1956#703185
1955#599237
1954#603226
1953#583229
1952#508276
1951#546238
1950#506256
1949#469293
1948#530244
1947#471303
1946#447300
1945#379344
1944#360371
1943#379364
1942#338421
1941#331400
1940#329375
1939#320375
1938#329368
1937#308405#3,1756
1936#281454
1935#297414
1934#278486
1933#280462#3,2686
1932#273515#3,7765
1931#300450
1930#291512
1929#294494#3,2477
1928#299500
1927#277566
1926#287536
1925#295521
1924#307471
1923#301457
1922#318416
1921#326407
1920#317424
1919#324382
1918#311425
1917#341336
1916#348316
1915#346292
1914#332251
1913#334208
1912#344180
1911#329145
1910#340134
1909#323123
1908#36199
1907#338106
1906#33997
1905#34992
1904#34291
1903#35579
1902#38964
1901#39755
1900#36984
1899#37161
1898#39660
1897#37958
1896#35567
1895#38453
1894#42243
1893#38748
1892#37351
1891#42335
1890#35851
1889#38140
1888#38739
1887#39031
1886#38731
1885#41325
1884#52016
1883#42320
1882#47515
1881#53910
1880#49212
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Willa was already there! It came in at #492, and was given to 12 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1882, when fewer than 16 girls a year got the name.

Where Willa is popular in 1916

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMNIllinois: #426 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 5,792 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedWIMichigan: #470 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,454 girlsMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedIAIndiana: #255 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,155 girlsINOhio: #349 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 4,362 girlsOHPennsylvania: #383 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 6,376 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #402 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,911 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedUTColorado: #215 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,359 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNEMissouri: #184 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 1,109 girlsMOKentucky: #308 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,405 girlsKYWest Virginia: #212 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,266 girlsWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNMKansas: #305 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,466 girlsKSArkansas: #339 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,342 girlsARTennessee: #175 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 924 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #280 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,181 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #269 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,136 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #205 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,079 girlsOKLouisiana: #303 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,970 girlsLAMississippi: #250 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,500 girlsMSAlabama: #228 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,361 girlsALGeorgia: #214 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,425 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedHITexas: #294 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 1,553 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Tennessee#175 · 1 in 924
  2. Missouri#184 · 1 in 1,109
  3. Oklahoma#205 · 1 in 1,079
  4. West Virginia#212 · 1 in 1,266
  5. Georgia#214 · 1 in 1,425

Best ever in a state: #63 in Nebraska, 2019.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Tennessee#175251 in 924
Missouri#184261 in 1,109
Oklahoma#205171 in 1,079
West Virginia#212121 in 1,266
Georgia#214221 in 1,425
Colorado#21551 in 1,359
Alabama#228191 in 1,361
Mississippi#250121 in 1,500
Indiana#255111 in 2,155
South Carolina#26991 in 2,136
North Carolina#280141 in 2,181
Texas#294291 in 1,553
Louisiana#30391 in 1,970
Kansas#30561 in 2,466
Kentucky#308101 in 2,405
Arkansas#33971 in 2,342
Ohio#349111 in 4,362
Pennsylvania#383141 in 6,376
California#40251 in 3,911
Illinois#426101 in 5,792
Michigan#47051 in 6,454
Alaska
Arizona
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls 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 Willa
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#423#422)
  • 73 spots since 2020 (#349#422)
  • 58 spots since 2015 (#480#422)
  • Biggest jump: 265 spots in 2012 (#981#716)
  • Biggest drop: 188 spots in 1963 (#911#1,099)
Rise & fade · girls
52 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1932 at #273 (515 births)
  • Births halved by 1948, 16 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 99 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 99 yrs · run 1880–1962
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,822
  • Highest: 1 in 1,822 girls born in 2020 were named Willa (0.05%)
  • Latest: 1 in 2,166 girls born in 2025 (0.05%)
  • Its best rank, #273 in 1932, was only 1 in 2,072 (0.05%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 2010s
  • 17.2% of all girls named Willa (5,652) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s239#381 (1889)#441
1890s527#355 (1896)#385
1900s890#323 (1909)#356
1910s2,669#311 (1918)#335
1920s4,792#277 (1927)#302
1930s4,441#273 (1932)#296
1940s3,415#329 (1940)#403
1950s2,118#506 (1950)#648
1960s956#851 (1960)#1,210
1970s333#1,781 (1970)#2,486
1980s283#2,515 (1984)#3,200
1990s404#2,307 (1999)#3,078
2000s1,344#1,032 (2009)#1,759
2010s5,652#356 (2019)#603
2020s4,761#349 (2020)#395

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Willa in 1916

girls
#348
316 births · 1 in 3,305 girls

Top girls' names in 1916

  1. #1Mary61,438
  2. #2Helen32,661
  3. #3Dorothy27,418
  4. #4Margaret24,953
  5. #5Ruth23,189
  6. #6Mildred15,633
  7. #7Anna15,228
  8. #8Elizabeth14,940
  9. #9Frances13,746
  10. #10Virginia12,487
  11. #348Willa316
More about 1916

girls

1,044,334 girls got a published name in 1916; 1 in 3,305 of them was named Willa, which outranked 93.3% of the 5,161 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Willa
  1. #344Wilhelmina320
  2. #346Kate318
  3. #347Iola317
  4. #348Willa316
  5. #348Lilly316
  6. #350Theda315
  7. #351Lou308
  8. #352Loraine307

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

Biggest movers since 1915
Risers
  1. 567Trinidad#1,317#750
  2. 388Coral#1,367#979
  3. 377Coletta#1,317#940
  4. 370Clifford#1,285#915
  5. 327Maida#1,231#904
Fallers
  1. 364Louis#934#1,298
  2. 354Herminia#944#1,298
  3. 346Gertha#900#1,246
  4. 344Lahoma#934#1,278
  5. 310Hassie#900#1,210

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

See the top 100 for 1916