Total births
450,188
Unisex name · since 1880
Willie
Willie has 450,188 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1947 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1364
- among boys today
- 450,188
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Willie currently ranks #1364 among unisex names in America, with 450,188 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Willie has been recorded 450,188 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1364 nationally and more common than 90% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. 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.
- #1364 among boys today
- 450,188 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willie is currently the #1364 unisex name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 450,188 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #1364
- among boys today
- 450,188
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Willie vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1364
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1940s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Willie was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
7,997 babies were named Willie in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Willie compares
450,188 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Willie's all-time total is 1,227x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willie | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 450,188 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7,997 | 23 | 22,252 |
Willie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Willie's full recorded timeline at 1953, 32% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 68% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2024, with just 138 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1947 peak of 7,997 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Willie at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1947
Current rank
#1,364
Active since
1880
Willie popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 7,997
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Willie popularity over time - girls
146,197 total births recorded since 1880 (Willie as girls' name)
Willie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Willie's strongest decade.
72,422 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Willie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,906
1880s
5,906 births
- 1890s 9,849
1890s
9,849 births
- 1900s 17,746
1900s
17,746 births
- 1910s
1910s
47,690 births
- 1920s
1920s
67,993 births
- 1930s
1930s
62,466 births
- 1940s
1940s
72,422 births
- 1950s
1950s
66,460 births
- 1960s
1960s
39,812 births
- 1970s 23,966
1970s
23,966 births
- 1980s 16,892
1980s
16,892 births
- 1990s 9,716
1990s
9,716 births
- 2000s 5,157
2000s
5,157 births
- 2010s 3,132
2010s
3,132 births
- 2020s 981
2020s
981 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 72,422 births (16% of all-time use).
How Willie 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 Willie's total volume
Willie vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Willie by state
Where Willie concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 60,684 | 13.5% |
| #2 | Mississippi | | 49,142 | 10.9% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 47,979 | 10.7% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 33,426 | 7.4% |
| #5 | Texas | | 29,901 | 6.6% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 29,016 | 6.4% |
| #7 | Florida | | 25,348 | 5.6% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 22,732 | 5.0% |
Georgia share of Willie's total US births 13.5%
Even split
60,684 of 450,188 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Willie appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willie? ▼
450,188 babies have been named Willie since 1880. It currently ranks #1364 among boys. The peak year was 1947 with 7,997 births.
When was Willie most popular? ▼
Willie was most popular in the 1940s decade with 72,422 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Willie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Willie are Georgia (60,684 births), Mississippi (49,142 births), Alabama (47,979 births).
Is Willie a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Willie is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 450,188 births, and as a girl's name it has 146,197 births.
How long has the name Willie been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Willie since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Willie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willard, Wilbur, Willis, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Willie's data
- Willie's decade-level peak was the 1940s (72,422 total births); usage has since declined to 981 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Willies (60,684 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Willie
Nearby Names Like Willie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willie
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willard Boy
#2958 77,658 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Wilson Boy
#644 48,807 births
Compare Willie side by side: Willie vs William Willie vs Willard Willie vs Wilbur
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willie
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. "Willie: #1364 Unisex Name - 450,188 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willie. 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 Willie 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.