Willa
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- WIL-a
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #765 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #422 for girls
Willa is a girls' name of Germanic origin, meaning “will and helmet”. In 2025 it ranked 765th for girls in the UK (52 babies) and 422nd for girls in the US (742 babies).
What does Willa mean?
Germanic: feminine form of William
“will and helmet”
A feminine form of William; the American novelist Willa Cather is a well-known bearer.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Willa a girl's or a boy's name?
Willa is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 52 girls in the UK and 742 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Willa in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #765among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 52about 1 in 5,400 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 17% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 52 girls in the UK were named Willa, making it the 765th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,033rd. Its busiest year was 2024, with 61 girls.
Half of all the girls named Willa in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among girls in 2025, it was 705th in England and Wales.
Willa in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 52 | #765 |
| 2024 | 61 | #677 |
| 2023 | 36 | #1,030 |
| 2022 | 43 | #878 |
| 2021 | 34 | #1,078 |
| 2020 | 35 | #1,033 |
| 2019 | 44 | #893 |
| 2018 | 48 | #849 |
| 2017 | 40 | #992 |
| 2016 | 29 | #1,243 |
| 2015 | 31 | #1,193 |
| 2014 | 28 | #1,272 |
| 2013 | 17 | #1,798 |
| 2012 | 19 | #1,681 |
| 2011 | 18 | #1,696 |
| 2010 | 21 | #1,527 |
| 2009 | 11 | #2,298 |
| 2008 | 7 | #3,203 |
| 2007 | 5 | #3,858 |
| 2006 | 10 | #2,263 |
| 2005 | 5 | #3,543 |
| 2004 | 5 | #3,356 |
| 2003 | 10 | #1,954 |
| 2002 | 3 | #4,284 |
| 2001 | 4 | #3,427 |
| 2000 | 5 | #2,907 |
| 1999 | 4 | #3,374 |
| 1998 | 1 | #5,152 |
| 1997 | 8 | #2,073 |
How popular is Willa in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #422among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 742about 1 in 2,200 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 742 girls in the US were named Willa, making it the 422nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 349th. Its busiest year was 2019, with 889 girls.
Half of all the girls named Willa in the US since 1880 were born between 1928 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
Willa in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 742 | #422 |
| 2024 | 733 | #423 |
| 2023 | 721 | #429 |
| 2022 | 791 | #395 |
| 2021 | 887 | #351 |
| 2020 | 887 | #349 |
| 2019 | 889 | #356 |
| 2018 | 813 | #383 |
| 2017 | 699 | #453 |
| 2016 | 689 | #461 |
| 2015 | 675 | #480 |
| 2014 | 562 | #551 |
| 2013 | 406 | #697 |
| 2012 | 389 | #716 |
| 2011 | 261 | #981 |
| 2010 | 269 | #951 |
| 2009 | 252 | #1,032 |
| 2008 | 247 | #1,057 |
| 2007 | 201 | #1,233 |
| 2006 | 116 | #1,788 |
| 2005 | 121 | #1,644 |
| 2004 | 99 | #1,894 |
| 2003 | 96 | #1,895 |
| 2002 | 97 | #1,842 |
| 2001 | 59 | #2,567 |
| 2000 | 56 | #2,628 |
| 1999 | 64 | #2,304 |
| 1998 | 46 | #2,843 |
| 1997 | 33 | #3,445 |
| 1996 | 35 | #3,297 |
| 1995 | 49 | #2,547 |
| 1994 | 48 | #2,580 |
| 1993 | 41 | #2,877 |
| 1992 | 31 | #3,497 |
| 1991 | 30 | #3,534 |
| 1990 | 27 | #3,808 |
| 1989 | 32 | #3,247 |
| 1988 | 32 | #3,090 |
| 1987 | 24 | #3,621 |
| 1986 | 30 | #3,052 |
| 1985 | 24 | #3,516 |
| 1984 | 37 | #2,514 |
| 1983 | 23 | #3,430 |
| 1982 | 27 | #3,171 |
| 1981 | 30 | #2,928 |
| 1980 | 24 | #3,411 |
| 1979 | 34 | #2,621 |
| 1978 | 32 | #2,629 |
| 1977 | 27 | #2,908 |
| 1976 | 24 | #3,001 |
| 1975 | 28 | #2,680 |
| 1974 | 27 | #2,683 |
| 1973 | 29 | #2,506 |
| 1972 | 34 | #2,222 |
| 1971 | 48 | #1,828 |
| 1970 | 50 | #1,781 |
| 1969 | 44 | #1,871 |
| 1968 | 41 | #1,855 |
| 1967 | 74 | #1,239 |
| 1966 | 76 | #1,232 |
| 1965 | 92 | #1,089 |
| 1964 | 109 | #1,032 |
| 1963 | 98 | #1,099 |
| 1962 | 135 | #911 |
| 1961 | 138 | #918 |
| 1960 | 149 | #851 |
| 1959 | 139 | #878 |
| 1958 | 163 | #782 |
| 1957 | 169 | #766 |
| 1956 | 185 | #702 |
| 1955 | 237 | #598 |
| 1954 | 226 | #602 |
| 1953 | 229 | #582 |
| 1952 | 276 | #507 |
| 1951 | 238 | #545 |
| 1950 | 256 | #505 |
| 1949 | 293 | #468 |
| 1948 | 244 | #529 |
| 1947 | 303 | #471 |
| 1946 | 300 | #447 |
| 1945 | 344 | #379 |
| 1944 | 371 | #360 |
| 1943 | 364 | #379 |
| 1942 | 421 | #338 |
| 1941 | 400 | #331 |
| 1940 | 375 | #329 |
| 1939 | 375 | #320 |
| 1938 | 368 | #329 |
| 1937 | 405 | #308 |
| 1936 | 454 | #281 |
| 1935 | 414 | #297 |
| 1934 | 486 | #278 |
| 1933 | 462 | #280 |
| 1932 | 515 | #273 |
| 1931 | 450 | #300 |
| 1930 | 512 | #291 |
| 1929 | 494 | #294 |
| 1928 | 500 | #299 |
| 1927 | 566 | #277 |
| 1926 | 536 | #287 |
| 1925 | 521 | #295 |
| 1924 | 471 | #307 |
| 1923 | 457 | #301 |
| 1922 | 416 | #318 |
| 1921 | 407 | #326 |
| 1920 | 424 | #317 |
| 1919 | 382 | #324 |
| 1918 | 425 | #311 |
| 1917 | 336 | #341 |
| 1916 | 316 | #348 |
| 1915 | 292 | #346 |
| 1914 | 251 | #332 |
| 1913 | 208 | #334 |
| 1912 | 180 | #344 |
| 1911 | 145 | #329 |
| 1910 | 134 | #340 |
| 1909 | 123 | #323 |
| 1908 | 99 | #361 |
| 1907 | 106 | #338 |
| 1906 | 97 | #339 |
| 1905 | 92 | #349 |
| 1904 | 91 | #342 |
| 1903 | 79 | #355 |
| 1902 | 64 | #389 |
| 1901 | 55 | #397 |
| 1900 | 84 | #369 |
| 1899 | 61 | #371 |
| 1898 | 60 | #396 |
| 1897 | 58 | #379 |
| 1896 | 67 | #355 |
| 1895 | 53 | #384 |
| 1894 | 43 | #422 |
| 1893 | 48 | #387 |
| 1892 | 51 | #373 |
| 1891 | 35 | #423 |
| 1890 | 51 | #358 |
| 1889 | 40 | #381 |
| 1888 | 39 | #387 |
| 1887 | 31 | #390 |
| 1886 | 31 | #387 |
| 1885 | 25 | #413 |
| 1884 | 16 | #520 |
| 1883 | 20 | #423 |
| 1882 | 15 | #475 |
| 1881 | 10 | #539 |
| 1880 | 12 | #492 |
Names like Willa
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ada Etta Ella Matilda Lottie Millie Winnie Eva Lyla Clara Nora Hattie
Names related to Willa
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte William Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Harry Albie Louie Miles Alice Myles Charles
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Willa: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/willa, updated 20 October 2026.