Total births
32,824
Girls' name · since 1880
Willa
Willa has 32,824 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2019 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #423
- among girls today
- 32,824
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Willa is the #423 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 32,824 recorded since 1880.
Willa has 32,824 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #423 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #423 among girls today
- 32,824 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willa is currently the #423 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 32,824 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #423
- among girls today
- 32,824
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Willa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#423
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Willa was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
889 babies were named Willa in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Willa compares
32,824 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Willa's all-time total is 86x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 32,824 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 889 | 48 | 19,840 |
Willa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Willa's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 10 births recorded -- set against the 2019 peak of 889, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Willa at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2019
Current rank
#423
Active since
1880
Willa popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 889
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Willa popularity over time - boys
24 total births recorded since 1929 (Willa as boys' name)
Willa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Willa's strongest decade.
5,652 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Willa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 239
1880s
239 births
- 1890s 527
1890s
527 births
- 1900s 890
1900s
890 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,669 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,792 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,441 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,415 births
- 1950s 2,118
1950s
2,118 births
- 1960s 956
1960s
956 births
- 1970s 333
1970s
333 births
- 1980s 283
1980s
283 births
- 1990s 404
1990s
404 births
- 2000s 1,344
2000s
1,344 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,652 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,761 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,652 births (17% of all-time use).
How Willa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Willa's total volume
Willa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Willa by state
Where Willa concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 1,587 | 4.8% |
| #2 | Missouri | | 1,413 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 1,392 | 4.2% |
| #4 | California | | 1,350 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,311 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Texas | | 1,302 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 1,244 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 1,201 | 3.7% |
North Carolina share of Willa's total US births 4.8%
Even split
1,587 of 32,824 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Willa appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willa? ▼
32,824 babies have been named Willa since 1880. It currently ranks #423 among girls. The peak year was 2019 with 889 births.
When was Willa most popular? ▼
Willa was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,652 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Willa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Willa are North Carolina (1,587 births), Missouri (1,413 births), Tennessee (1,392 births).
How long has the name Willa been used? ▼
Records for Willa go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Willa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Willie, Wilma, Willow, William, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Willa's data
- Willa's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,652 total births) through the 2020s (4,761) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Willas (1,587 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Willa
Nearby Names Like Willa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willa
Willie Girl
#13478 146,197 births
Wilma Girl
#3967 140,101 births
Willow Girl
#41 65,095 births
William Girl
#10275 16,029 births
Wilhelmina Girl
#1796 13,094 births
Compare Willa side by side: Willa vs Willie Willa vs Wilma Willa vs Willow
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willa
Raelyn #422
15,768 births · Peak 2016
Gracelynn #424
13,268 births · Peak 2020
Madilyn #421
23,632 births · Peak 2008
Helen #425
1,024,202 births · Peak 1918
Holly #420
205,304 births · Peak 1983
Alessandra #426
24,836 births · Peak 2015
Phoenix #419
16,064 births · Peak 2020
Emely #427
23,864 births · Peak 2008
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Willa: #423 Girls' Name - 32,824 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willa. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Willa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.