Willie
Willie was the 1322nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 147 babies. Its best year was 1910, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1947 (7,997). Over the last ten years it has moved down 548 places. More babies were named Willie in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of William · English, Germanic
Say it WIL-ee /ˈwɪli/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,322 boys, down 327 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 147boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19477,997 babies
- Total since 1880
- 596,385babies recorded
What does the name Willie mean?
Willie is a pet form of William, and for girls of Wilhelmina, as Wiktionary notes; it often appears in double names such as Willie Mae. William is a Germanic name from wil 'will, desire' and helm 'helmet, protection', which came to England with William the Conqueror. Willie was especially common in the southern US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; Willie Nelson and Willie Mays are famous bearers.
wil (Old High German, “will, desire”)helm (Old High German, “helmet, protection”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: William, Willy, Will, Billy, Wilhelmina.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Willie', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'William', DMNES (Durham University)
Willie popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,870 | #1,322 | 9 | 147 |
| 2020 | — | #995 | — | 215 |
| 2010 | — | #628 | — | 388 |
| 2000 | #13,109 | #407 | 7 | 610 |
| 1990 | #5,830 | #222 | 16 | 1,377 |
| 1980 | #1,765 | #130 | 63 | 2,167 |
| 1970 | #826 | #103 | 167 | 3,137 |
| 1960 | #392 | #81 | 590 | 5,238 |
| 1950 | #201 | #42 | 1,338 | 7,717 |
| 1940 | #128 | #35 | 1,937 | 6,176 |
| 1930 | #87 | #29 | 3,018 | 6,667 |
| 1920 | #74 | #29 | 3,816 | 6,887 |
| 1910 | #56 | #11 | 1,796 | 2,897 |
| 1900 | #58 | #14 | 1,351 | 2,113 |
| 1890 | #77 | #23 | 578 | 758 |
| 1880 | #105 | #34 | 192 | 476 |
How popular is Willie, counting every spelling?
Willie is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,124 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,322 for Willie on its own. Together these spellings went to 174 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willie | 147 | #1,322 | 766 |
| Willy | 27 | #4,041 | 132 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Willie?
147 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Willie (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Willie born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 57 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Willie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Willie?
About 170,500 people born in the US named Willie are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 51 and 76. That makes Willie a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Willie by state
How common Willie was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (5.0×), Georgia (2.8×), Alabama (2.4×), Florida (1.8×), Michigan (1.8×). In 31 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Willie: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Willie, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Willie · Sibling names for Willie
Willie is also a nickname for William, Wilma and Will.
Questions about the name Willie
What does Willie mean?
Willie means “pet form of William” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Willie?
Willie was the 1322nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 147 babies. Its best year was 1910, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1947 (7,997). Over the last ten years it has moved down 548 places. More babies were named Willie in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Willie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Willie in the US.
Where is Willie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Willie was most common in Mississippi (0.44 per 1,000 boys), followed by Georgia and Alabama.