Total births
4,074
Boys' name · since 1880
Willian
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 4,074 babies named Willian, peaking in 1929. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5662
- among boys today
- 4,074
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
4,074 babies have been named Willian since 1880, making it today's #5662 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Willian has been recorded 4,074 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #5662 nationally and more common than 60% 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.
- #5662 among boys today
- 4,074 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 60% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willian is currently the #5662 boys' name in America, more common than 60% of boys - 4,074 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5662
- among boys today
- 4,074
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Willian vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5662
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 60% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Willian was born in this single decade.
1929
Single peak year
84 babies were named Willian in 1929 - its busiest year on record.
How Willian compares
4,074 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Willian's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willian | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,074 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 84 | 23 | 22,252 |
Willian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Willian's full recorded timeline at 1957, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1885, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1929 peak of 84 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Willian at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1929
Current rank
#5,662
Active since
1880
Willian popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1929)
- 84
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Willian popularity over time - girls
18 total births recorded since 1924 (Willian as girls' name)
Willian by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Willian's strongest decade.
597 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Willian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 81
1880s
81 births
- 1890s 46
1890s
46 births
- 1900s 29
1900s
29 births
- 1910s 194
1910s
194 births
- 1920s
1920s
597 births
- 1930s
1930s
560 births
- 1940s
1940s
555 births
- 1950s
1950s
415 births
- 1960s
1960s
416 births
- 1970s
1970s
240 births
- 1980s 225
1980s
225 births
- 1990s 138
1990s
138 births
- 2000s 232
2000s
232 births
- 2010s
2010s
243 births
- 2020s 103
2020s
103 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 597 births (15% of all-time use).
How Willian 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 Willian's total volume
Willian vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Willian by state
Where Willian concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 104 | 2.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 97 | 2.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 75 | 1.8% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 68 | 1.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 35 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 35 | 0.9% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 30 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 28 | 0.7% |
California share of Willian's total US births 2.6%
Even split
104 of 4,074 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Willian appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willian? ▼
Willian has been given to 4,074 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5662 as of the latest data. 84 babies were born in 1929, its single highest year.
When was Willian most popular? ▼
Willian was most popular in the 1920s decade with 597 total births. The single peak year was 1929.
Where is Willian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Willian are California (104 births), New York (97 births), Pennsylvania (75 births).
How long has the name Willian been used? ▼
Willian has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Willian? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willie, Willard, Wilbur, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Willian's data
- Willian's decade-level peak was the 1920s (597 total births); usage has since declined to 103 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Willians (104 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Willian
Nearby Names Like Willian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willian
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willie Boy
#1364 450,188 births
Willard Boy
#2958 77,658 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Compare Willian side by side: Willian vs William Willian vs Willie Willian vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willian
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. "Willian: #5662 Boys' Name - 4,074 Births, Peak 1929." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willian. 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 Willian 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.