Nameling

Willow

Gender
Girl
Say it
WIL-oh
Origin
English
UK rank, 2025
#23 for girls
US rank, 2025
#44 for girls

Willow is a girls' name of English origin, meaning “willow tree”. In 2025 it ranked 23rd for girls in the UK (1,539 babies) and 44th for girls in the US (4,763 babies).

What does Willow mean?

English: tree name, from Old English welig

“willow tree”

From the name of the tree; Willow Rosenberg of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a well-known fictional bearer.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Willow a girl's or a boy's name?

Willow is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,539 girls and 5 boys in the UK and 4,763 girls and 23 boys in the US.

How popular is Willow in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#23among girls
Babies in 2025
1,539about 1 in 180 girls
Five-year trend
Steadydown 20% in five years
Same name in a class
7.5%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,539 girls in the UK were named Willow, making it the 23rd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 15th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 2,270 girls. 5 boys were also named Willow in 2025 (3,747th for boys).

It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Willow than any year since 2015.

Half of all the girls named Willow in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among girls in 2025, it was 20th in England and Wales, 27th in Scotland and 68th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#51) and 2024 (#21).

1996Busiest: 2,270 in 20212025
Willow in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20251,539#23
20241,626#24
20232,016#8
20222,056#12
20212,270#12
20202,165#15
20192,215#17
20182,090#20
20171,927#25
20161,656#34
20151,423#44
20141,237#52
20131,159#56
2012960#71
2011834#85
2010546#118
2009522#116
2008388#158
2007319#193
2006226#239
2005202#255
2004232#224
2003170#275
2002180#252
2001162#279
200074#458
199959#541
199843#648
199721#1,053
199624#924

How popular is Willow in the US?

Rank in 2025
#44among girls
Babies in 2025
4,763about 1 in 340 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 10% in five years
Same name in a class
4.1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 4,763 girls in the US were named Willow, making it the 44th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 48th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 5,195 girls. It first appears in the records in 1890. 23 boys were also named Willow in 2025 (4,395th for boys).

Half of all the girls named Willow in the US since 1880 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

1890Busiest: 5,195 in 20212025
Willow in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20254,763#44
20244,672#41
20234,765#41
20225,072#37
20215,195#39
20204,401#48
20194,609#45
20183,933#60
20173,569#80
20163,125#96
20152,811#111
20142,410#136
20132,079#155
20121,839#171
20111,575#199
20101,122#288
20091,054#312
2008797#405
2007771#425
2006578#523
2005542#532
2004519#548
2003537#525
2002546#504
2001379#664
2000301#757
1999310#726
1998250#852
1997169#1,109
1996125#1,346
199590#1,636
199484#1,739
199351#2,446
199254#2,381
199155#2,314
199029#3,618
198935#3,039
198826#3,580
198721#3,980
198622#3,755
198537#2,600
198430#2,914
198332#2,720
198240#2,414
198141#2,375
198060#1,805
197962#1,753
197875#1,502
197764#1,637
197666#1,535
197553#1,756
197454#1,688
197343#1,913
197232#2,311
197133#2,340
197020#3,208
196917#3,317
196815#3,455
196710#4,299
196614#3,399
196511#3,951
196420#2,824
196312#3,800
196212#3,781
196113#3,607
196015#3,211
195913#3,435
19588#4,519
195714#3,149
195616#2,928
195521#2,410
195412#3,324
195317#2,594
195210#3,551
195113#2,936
195014#2,780
194912#2,998
194818#2,328
194724#1,992
194620#2,093
194521#1,824
194423#1,741
194314#2,446
194212#2,665
194115#2,189
194016#2,028
193919#1,797
193822#1,650
193713#2,317
193624#1,507
193514#2,205
193423#1,556
193324#1,513
193226#1,488
193124#1,548
193019#1,874
192926#1,525
192830#1,424
192723#1,770
192635#1,324
192527#1,608
192426#1,679
192327#1,598
192215#2,387
192123#1,821
192020#1,952
191914#2,384
191815#2,288
191710#2,878
191620#1,739
191523#1,523
191411#2,125
191312#1,766
19126#2,632
19110–
19100–
19095#2,208
19089#1,439
19075#2,060
19068#1,416
19050–
19048#1,363
19030–
19025#1,792
19010–
19000–
18990–
18980–
18970–
18960–
18950–
18940–
18930–
18920–
18910–
18905#1,337

Names like Willow

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Harper Mila Isla Freya Ivy Ava Poppy Zara Maisie Lyla Mia Lily

Other spellings of Willow

Wyllow Willo

Names related to Willow

Willa

More English names

Evelyn Hudson Grace Violet Daisy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie Hazel Carter Harrison River Ellie

Every English name

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, “Willow: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/willow, updated 20 October 2026.