Willard
Willard was given to 47 boys in 2025, #2,759 among boys’ names; 78,542 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 19,300 Americans named Willard and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (25% of everyone recorded); the median is 69 years old and half are between 56 and 79.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Willard by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Willard mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Willard is “a male given name from Old English of mostly American usage. Partly transferred back from the surname.” Its etymology gives the senses “will” (wil) and “brave, strong” (heard).
From Old English wil (“will”) + heard (“brave, strong”).
/ˈwɪləɹd/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Willard?
#2,759 among boys’ names, 2025
Willard rose from #2,762 in 2015 to #2,759 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 23.0 to 27.5 per million.
2,924 babies in 1915, the peak
Willard peaked in 1915, when 2,924 babies were given it (2,889 boys, #58 among boys’ names). The 47 births of 2025 are 2% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 47 | #2,759 | 0.03 |
| 2024 | 42 | #2,998 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 43 | #2,945 | 0.03 |
| 2022 | 41 | #3,049 | 0.02 |
| 2021 | 29 | #3,805 | 0.02 |
| 2020 | 44 | #2,803 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 46 | #2,762 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 50 | #2,576 | 0.03 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2,385 | 0.03 |
| 2016 | 47 | #2,659 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 44 | #2,762 | 0.02 |
| 2014 | 35 | #3,226 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 31 | #3,491 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 47 | #2,627 | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 36 | #3,162 | 0.02 |
| 2010 | 49 | #2,552 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 40 | #2,987 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 57 | #2,323 | 0.03 |
| 2007 | 48 | #2,599 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 56 | #2,282 | 0.03 |
| 2005 | 60 | #2,076 | 0.03 |
| 2004 | 63 | #1,948 | 0.03 |
| 2003 | 59 | #1,981 | 0.03 |
| 2002 | 64 | #1,812 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 61 | #1,836 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 60 | #1,810 | 0.03 |
| 1999 | 59 | #1,744 | 0.03 |
| 1998 | 64 | #1,637 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 66 | #1,566 | 0.04 |
| 1996 | 67 | #1,512 | 0.04 |
| 1995 | 83 | #1,294 | 0.04 |
| 1994 | 72 | #1,378 | 0.04 |
| 1993 | 76 | #1,307 | 0.04 |
| 1992 | 89 | #1,182 | 0.04 |
| 1991 | 81 | #1,238 | 0.04 |
| 1990 | 91 | #1,130 | 0.04 |
| 1989 | 113 | #958 | 0.06 |
| 1988 | 99 | #979 | 0.05 |
| 1987 | 117 | #864 | 0.06 |
| 1986 | 111 | #866 | 0.06 |
| 1985 | 105 | #888 | 0.06 |
| 1984 | 103 | #870 | 0.06 |
| 1983 | 128 | #771 | 0.07 |
| 1982 | 130 | #776 | 0.07 |
| 1981 | 136 | #749 | 0.08 |
| 1980 | 164 | #679 | 0.09 |
| 1979 | 171 | #656 | 0.10 |
| 1978 | 155 | #672 | 0.09 |
| 1977 | 172 | #647 | 0.10 |
| 1976 | 177 | #616 | 0.11 |
| 1975 | 229 | #531 | 0.15 |
| 1974 | 198 | #571 | 0.13 |
| 1973 | 220 | #532 | 0.14 |
| 1972 | 284 | #466 | 0.18 |
| 1971 | 306 | #468 | 0.17 |
| 1970 | 350 | #435 | 0.19 |
| 1969 | 311 | #445 | 0.17 |
| 1968 | 339 | #417 | 0.20 |
| 1967 | 394 | #380 | 0.23 |
| 1966 | 388 | #388 | 0.22 |
| 1965 | 413 | #381 | 0.22 |
| 1964 | 438 | #378 | 0.22 |
| 1963 | 497 | #351 | 0.24 |
| 1962 | 460 | #377 | 0.22 |
| 1961 | 506 | #353 | 0.24 |
| 1960 | 543 | #333 | 0.25 |
| 1959 | 572 | #325 | 0.27 |
| 1958 | 586 | #314 | 0.28 |
| 1957 | 636 | #301 | 0.29 |
| 1956 | 654 | #287 | 0.31 |
| 1955 | 723 | #257 | 0.35 |
| 1954 | 676 | #270 | 0.33 |
| 1953 | 767 | #247 | 0.39 |
| 1952 | 799 | #236 | 0.41 |
| 1951 | 778 | #243 | 0.41 |
| 1950 | 841 | #219 | 0.47 |
| 1949 | 927 | #209 | 0.52 |
| 1948 | 950 | #204 | 0.54 |
| 1947 | 1,025 | #198 | 0.56 |
| 1946 | 1,057 | #177 | 0.65 |
| 1945 | 957 | #172 | 0.71 |
| 1944 | 1,040 | #166 | 0.76 |
| 1943 | 1,231 | #159 | 0.86 |
| 1942 | 1,191 | #159 | 0.86 |
| 1941 | 1,085 | #159 | 0.88 |
| 1940 | 1,140 | #151 | 1.0 |
| 1939 | 1,103 | #147 | 1.0 |
| 1938 | 1,095 | #148 | 1.0 |
| 1937 | 1,163 | #135 | 1.1 |
| 1936 | 1,157 | #136 | 1.1 |
| 1935 | 1,214 | #132 | 1.2 |
| 1934 | 1,175 | #136 | 1.1 |
| 1933 | 1,283 | #130 | 1.3 |
| 1932 | 1,357 | #125 | 1.3 |
| 1931 | 1,376 | #124 | 1.3 |
| 1930 | 1,537 | #117 | 1.4 |
| 1929 | 1,511 | #114 | 1.4 |
| 1928 | 1,628 | #113 | 1.5 |
| 1927 | 1,734 | #106 | 1.5 |
| 1926 | 1,810 | #100 | 1.6 |
| 1925 | 1,795 | #97 | 1.6 |
| 1924 | 1,834 | #97 | 1.6 |
| 1923 | 1,945 | #92 | 1.8 |
| 1922 | 2,017 | #91 | 1.9 |
| 1921 | 2,077 | #89 | 1.9 |
| 1920 | 2,089 | #88 | 2.0 |
| 1919 | 2,014 | #87 | 2.1 |
| 1918 | 2,311 | #83 | 2.3 |
| 1917 | 2,188 | #80 | 2.4 |
| 1916 | 2,413 | #69 | 2.7 |
| 1915 | 2,889 | #58 | 3.4 |
| 1914 | 1,302 | #92 | 2.0 |
| 1913 | 926 | #99 | 1.8 |
| 1912 | 718 | #105 | 1.7 |
| 1911 | 338 | #114 | 1.5 |
| 1910 | 265 | #121 | 1.4 |
| 1909 | 219 | #125 | 1.3 |
| 1908 | 229 | #112 | 1.5 |
| 1907 | 201 | #118 | 1.4 |
| 1906 | 178 | #120 | 1.3 |
| 1905 | 180 | #119 | 1.4 |
| 1904 | 180 | #116 | 1.4 |
| 1903 | 162 | #123 | 1.4 |
| 1902 | 164 | #118 | 1.3 |
| 1901 | 136 | #122 | 1.3 |
| 1900 | 172 | #132 | 1.1 |
| 1899 | 144 | #116 | 1.4 |
| 1898 | 137 | #134 | 1.1 |
| 1897 | 143 | #118 | 1.3 |
| 1896 | 152 | #118 | 1.3 |
| 1895 | 113 | #138 | 1.0 |
| 1894 | 122 | #134 | 1.1 |
| 1893 | 118 | #129 | 1.1 |
| 1892 | 121 | #132 | 1.0 |
| 1891 | 101 | #135 | 1.0 |
| 1890 | 89 | #160 | 0.80 |
| 1889 | 100 | #149 | 0.90 |
| 1888 | 123 | #128 | 1.0 |
| 1887 | 95 | #137 | 0.94 |
| 1886 | 80 | #174 | 0.72 |
| 1885 | 95 | #144 | 0.88 |
| 1884 | 89 | #156 | 0.78 |
| 1883 | 92 | #139 | 0.88 |
| 1882 | 83 | #164 | 0.73 |
| 1881 | 94 | #130 | 0.93 |
| 1880 | 88 | #158 | 0.80 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Willard a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 78,542 Americans recorded as Willard, 1% are girls and 99% boys. In 2025 it went to 47 boys; SSA lists no girls with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Willard: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Willard, and how old are they?
19,300 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 25% of the 78,542 Americans ever recorded as Willard. The median Willard alive today is 69 years old; half are between 56 and 79.
The 2020 Census counted 22,615 people named Willard (88 women and girls, 22,527 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 24,364 born in the U.S. The Census count is 7% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 4,000 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 8,560 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 3,740 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,520 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 874 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 550 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Willard born?
The states with the most babies named Willard are Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois, with 17% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 4,295 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Ohio | 3,924 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Illinois | 3,762 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Kentucky | 3,485 | not ranked | 1.9× |
| New York | 3,005 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| North Carolina | 2,976 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Michigan | 2,794 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Tennessee | 2,719 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| Texas | 2,686 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Missouri | 2,564 | not ranked | 1.2× |
Where Willard is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Willard is most over-represented in Kentucky: since 1910 it was given 1.9 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Willard with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 79,628 babies since 1880, Willard is the most given (99% of them). In 2025 it was given to 47 of their 47 babies (100%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Willard
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Willard and names like it
- Compare Willard and WilliardBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sWillard peaked in 1915.
- Pennsylvania’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Willard since 1910.
- Old English namesWiktionary’s origin for Willard: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1915The year the most babies were named Willard.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Willard alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with WMost given first.