Total births
77,658
Boys' name · since 1880
Willard
77,658 babies named Willard in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1915. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2958
- among boys today
- 77,658
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Willard currently ranks #2958 among boys' names in America, with 77,658 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Willard has been recorded 77,658 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2958 nationally and more common than 79% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2958 among boys today
- 77,658 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 79% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willard is currently the #2958 boys' name in America, more common than 79% of boys - 77,658 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2958
- among boys today
- 77,658
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Willard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2958
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 79% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Willard was born in this single decade.
1915
Single peak year
2,889 babies were named Willard in 1915 - its busiest year on record.
How Willard compares
77,658 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Willard's all-time total is 212x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 77,658 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,889 | 23 | 22,252 |
Willard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Willard's full recorded timeline at 1953, 19% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 81% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2021, with just 29 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1915 peak of 2,889 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Willard at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1915
Current rank
#2,958
Active since
1880
Willard popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1915)
- 2,889
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Willard popularity over time - girls
884 total births recorded since 1898 (Willard as girls' name)
Willard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Willard's strongest decade.
18,440 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Willard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 939
1880s
939 births
- 1890s 1,240
1890s
1,240 births
- 1900s 1,821
1900s
1,821 births
- 1910s
1910s
15,364 births
- 1920s
1920s
18,440 births
- 1930s
1930s
12,460 births
- 1940s
1940s
10,603 births
- 1950s 7,032
1950s
7,032 births
- 1960s 4,289
1960s
4,289 births
- 1970s 2,262
1970s
2,262 births
- 1980s 1,206
1980s
1,206 births
- 1990s 748
1990s
748 births
- 2000s 568
2000s
568 births
- 2010s 440
2010s
440 births
- 2020s 246
2020s
246 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 18,440 births (24% of all-time use).
How Willard compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Willard's total volume
Willard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Willard by state
Where Willard concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 4,295 | 5.5% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 3,924 | 5.1% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 3,762 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 3,485 | 4.5% |
| #5 | New York | | 3,005 | 3.9% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 2,946 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 2,794 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 2,719 | 3.5% |
Pennsylvania share of Willard's total US births 5.5%
Even split
4,295 of 77,658 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Willard appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willard? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 77,658 babies named Willard. Today it holds rank #2958 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1915, with 2,889 births.
When was Willard most popular? ▼
Willard was most popular in the 1920s decade with 18,440 total births. The single peak year was 1915.
Where is Willard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Willard are Pennsylvania (4,295 births), Ohio (3,924 births), Illinois (3,762 births).
How long has the name Willard been used? ▼
Willard has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Willard? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willie, Wilbur, Willis, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Willard's data
- Willard's decade-level peak was the 1920s (18,440 total births); usage has since declined to 246 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Willards (4,295 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Willard
Nearby Names Like Willard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willard
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willie Boy
#1364 450,188 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Wilson Boy
#644 48,807 births
Compare Willard side by side: Willard vs William Willard vs Willie Willard vs Wilbur
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willard
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. "Willard: #2958 Boys' Name - 77,658 Births, Peak 1915." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willard. 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 Willard 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.