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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201917peak #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 1917

  • 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: #454 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 6,470 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedMINew 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: #385 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,126 girlsIAIndiana: #401 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,856 girlsINOhio: #340 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 4,224 girlsOHPennsylvania: #477 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 10,380 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #279 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,086 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedCONebraska: #257 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,687 girlsNEMissouri: #156 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 816 girlsMOKentucky: #210 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,179 girlsKYWest Virginia: #238 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,465 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: #160 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 831 girlsKSArkansas: #456 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,600 girlsARTennessee: #193 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,060 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #287 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,423 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #253 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,955 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #240 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,321 girlsOKLouisiana: #261 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,443 girlsLAMississippi: #228 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,257 girlsMSAlabama: #215 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,244 girlsALGeorgia: #194 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,249 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Willa, so not publishedHITexas: #432 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 2,954 girlsTXFlorida: #232 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,274 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Missouri#156 · 1 in 816
  2. Kansas#160 · 1 in 831
  3. Tennessee#193 · 1 in 1,060
  4. Georgia#194 · 1 in 1,249
  5. Kentucky#210 · 1 in 1,179

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Missouri#156351 in 816
Kansas#160181 in 831
Tennessee#193231 in 1,060
Georgia#194251 in 1,249
Kentucky#210211 in 1,179
Alabama#215201 in 1,244
Mississippi#228141 in 1,257
Florida#23271 in 1,274
West Virginia#238111 in 1,465
Oklahoma#240151 in 1,321
South Carolina#253101 in 1,955
Nebraska#25771 in 1,687
Louisiana#261131 in 1,443
California#279101 in 2,086
North Carolina#287131 in 2,423
Ohio#340121 in 4,224
Iowa#38551 in 4,126
Indiana#40151 in 4,856
Texas#432161 in 2,954
Illinois#45491 in 6,470
Arkansas#45651 in 3,600
Pennsylvania#47791 in 10,380
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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 1917

girls
#341
336 births · 1 in 3,218 girls

Top girls' names in 1917

  1. #1Mary64,280
  2. #2Helen34,251
  3. #3Dorothy28,852
  4. #4Margaret25,560
  5. #5Ruth23,568
  6. #6Mildred16,256
  7. #7Anna15,160
  8. #8Elizabeth15,131
  9. #9Frances14,363
  10. #10Virginia14,261
  11. #341Willa336
More about 1917

girls

1,081,267 girls got a published name in 1917; 1 in 3,218 of them was named Willa, which outranked 93.6% of the 5,310 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Willa
  1. #338Lou338
  2. #338Yolanda338
  3. #340Jimmie337
  4. #341Willa336
  5. #342Lessie334
  6. #342Theda334
  7. #344Elisabeth331
Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. ↑ 549Georgene#1,445 → #896
  2. ↑ 380Ottie#1,332 → #952
  3. ↑ 365Louis#1,298 → #933
  4. ↑ 334Valentine#1,298 → #964
  5. ↑ 322Harold#1,210 → #888
Fallers
  1. ↓ 401Ceola#840 → #1,241
  2. ↓ 373Floretta#964 → #1,337
  3. ↓ 344Buelah#993 → #1,337
  4. ↓ 326Glennie#915 → #1,241
  5. ↓ 290Maye#915 → #1,205

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

See the top 100 for 1917 →