Willis
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- WIL-is
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #4,301 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #2,539 for boys
Willis is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “son of Will”. In 2025 it ranked 4,301st for boys in the UK (4 babies) and 2,539th for boys in the US (52 babies).
What does Willis mean?
English: English surname from Will, the pet form of William
“son of Will”
Began as a medieval English surname meaning 'son of Will'.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Willis a girl's or a boy's name?
Willis is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 boys in the UK and 52 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Willis in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,301among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 4about 1 in 75,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 58% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 4 boys in the UK were named Willis, making it the 4,301st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,108th. Its busiest year was 2012, with 24 boys.
Half of all the boys named Willis in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,212th in England and Wales.
Willis in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | #4,301 |
| 2024 | 6 | #3,335 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 5 | #3,639 |
| 2021 | 3 | #4,989 |
| 2020 | 6 | #3,108 |
| 2019 | 6 | #3,184 |
| 2018 | 12 | #1,981 |
| 2017 | 14 | #1,822 |
| 2016 | 17 | #1,591 |
| 2015 | 12 | #1,990 |
| 2014 | 12 | #1,929 |
| 2013 | 10 | #2,176 |
| 2012 | 24 | #1,199 |
| 2011 | 6 | #3,038 |
| 2010 | 6 | #3,092 |
| 2009 | 8 | #2,445 |
| 2008 | 19 | #1,334 |
| 2007 | 14 | #1,605 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,386 |
| 2005 | 7 | #2,292 |
| 2004 | 7 | #2,157 |
| 2003 | 4 | #2,990 |
| 2002 | 5 | #2,358 |
| 2001 | 6 | #2,049 |
| 2000 | 11 | #1,308 |
| 1999 | 7 | #1,749 |
| 1998 | 6 | #1,932 |
| 1997 | 11 | #1,241 |
| 1996 | 6 | #1,840 |
How popular is Willis in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,539among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 52about 1 in 33,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 3% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 52 boys in the US were named Willis, making it the 2,539th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,212th. Its busiest year was 1924, with 1,261 boys.
Half of all the boys named Willis in the US since 1880 were born between 1921 and 1953, the years shaded on the chart below.
Willis in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 52 | #2,539 |
| 2024 | 50 | #2,637 |
| 2023 | 60 | #2,314 |
| 2022 | 44 | #2,871 |
| 2021 | 62 | #2,252 |
| 2020 | 62 | #2,212 |
| 2019 | 50 | #2,581 |
| 2018 | 55 | #2,384 |
| 2017 | 51 | #2,492 |
| 2016 | 70 | #2,028 |
| 2015 | 74 | #1,955 |
| 2014 | 81 | #1,828 |
| 2013 | 75 | #1,877 |
| 2012 | 78 | #1,862 |
| 2011 | 74 | #1,885 |
| 2010 | 52 | #2,401 |
| 2009 | 66 | #2,076 |
| 2008 | 59 | #2,236 |
| 2007 | 80 | #1,811 |
| 2006 | 79 | #1,758 |
| 2005 | 66 | #1,918 |
| 2004 | 65 | #1,876 |
| 2003 | 78 | #1,608 |
| 2002 | 70 | #1,679 |
| 2001 | 82 | #1,477 |
| 2000 | 107 | #1,238 |
| 1999 | 109 | #1,179 |
| 1998 | 106 | #1,169 |
| 1997 | 95 | #1,224 |
| 1996 | 113 | #1,069 |
| 1995 | 115 | #1,037 |
| 1994 | 119 | #1,013 |
| 1993 | 127 | #951 |
| 1992 | 126 | #953 |
| 1991 | 163 | #805 |
| 1990 | 159 | #800 |
| 1989 | 166 | #767 |
| 1988 | 183 | #692 |
| 1987 | 169 | #703 |
| 1986 | 176 | #680 |
| 1985 | 186 | #642 |
| 1984 | 186 | #624 |
| 1983 | 203 | #601 |
| 1982 | 227 | #570 |
| 1981 | 199 | #607 |
| 1980 | 228 | #573 |
| 1979 | 233 | #563 |
| 1978 | 214 | #573 |
| 1977 | 232 | #548 |
| 1976 | 181 | #609 |
| 1975 | 203 | #566 |
| 1974 | 199 | #568 |
| 1973 | 193 | #571 |
| 1972 | 245 | #502 |
| 1971 | 253 | #513 |
| 1970 | 260 | #500 |
| 1969 | 227 | #515 |
| 1968 | 230 | #498 |
| 1967 | 237 | #486 |
| 1966 | 254 | #482 |
| 1965 | 300 | #449 |
| 1964 | 324 | #445 |
| 1963 | 340 | #432 |
| 1962 | 375 | #415 |
| 1961 | 357 | #419 |
| 1960 | 414 | #389 |
| 1959 | 407 | #395 |
| 1958 | 416 | #383 |
| 1957 | 447 | #361 |
| 1956 | 444 | #349 |
| 1955 | 452 | #342 |
| 1954 | 447 | #336 |
| 1953 | 480 | #320 |
| 1952 | 513 | #314 |
| 1951 | 504 | #309 |
| 1950 | 476 | #313 |
| 1949 | 479 | #310 |
| 1948 | 584 | #278 |
| 1947 | 600 | #279 |
| 1946 | 584 | #259 |
| 1945 | 579 | #231 |
| 1944 | 623 | #219 |
| 1943 | 752 | #208 |
| 1942 | 666 | #219 |
| 1941 | 685 | #201 |
| 1940 | 609 | #209 |
| 1939 | 693 | #191 |
| 1938 | 731 | #187 |
| 1937 | 724 | #184 |
| 1936 | 768 | #175 |
| 1935 | 789 | #173 |
| 1934 | 867 | #166 |
| 1933 | 812 | #170 |
| 1932 | 911 | #165 |
| 1931 | 931 | #160 |
| 1930 | 965 | #159 |
| 1929 | 1,030 | #150 |
| 1928 | 1,085 | #148 |
| 1927 | 1,058 | #149 |
| 1926 | 1,233 | #140 |
| 1925 | 1,198 | #139 |
| 1924 | 1,261 | #136 |
| 1923 | 1,183 | #138 |
| 1922 | 1,250 | #133 |
| 1921 | 1,209 | #133 |
| 1920 | 1,197 | #133 |
| 1919 | 1,136 | #131 |
| 1918 | 1,091 | #141 |
| 1917 | 954 | #140 |
| 1916 | 990 | #136 |
| 1915 | 950 | #137 |
| 1914 | 743 | #135 |
| 1913 | 573 | #135 |
| 1912 | 453 | #141 |
| 1911 | 233 | #143 |
| 1910 | 216 | #149 |
| 1909 | 189 | #139 |
| 1908 | 161 | #146 |
| 1907 | 146 | #156 |
| 1906 | 148 | #139 |
| 1905 | 136 | #151 |
| 1904 | 136 | #144 |
| 1903 | 133 | #141 |
| 1902 | 144 | #134 |
| 1901 | 106 | #149 |
| 1900 | 169 | #134 |
| 1899 | 126 | #128 |
| 1898 | 121 | #143 |
| 1897 | 132 | #124 |
| 1896 | 145 | #120 |
| 1895 | 135 | #124 |
| 1894 | 133 | #118 |
| 1893 | 149 | #112 |
| 1892 | 143 | #119 |
| 1891 | 118 | #117 |
| 1890 | 129 | #118 |
| 1889 | 124 | #115 |
| 1888 | 135 | #119 |
| 1887 | 113 | #117 |
| 1886 | 150 | #103 |
| 1885 | 133 | #106 |
| 1884 | 151 | #100 |
| 1883 | 131 | #103 |
| 1882 | 143 | #104 |
| 1881 | 142 | #93 |
| 1880 | 166 | #86 |
Nicknames for Willis
- Will 13 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Willis
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Lewis Harris Otis Harry Stanley Ellis Wilfred Thomas Chester Charlie James Harley
Names related to Willis
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
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, “Willis: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/willis, updated 20 October 2026.