Total births
52,336
Boys' name · since 1880
Willis
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 52,336 babies named Willis, peaking in 1924. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2638
- among boys today
- 52,336
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Willis is the #2638 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 52,336 recorded since 1880.
Willis has 52,336 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2638 as of the latest data, more common than 82% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- 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.
- #2638 among boys today
- 52,336 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 82% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willis is currently the #2638 boys' name in America, more common than 82% of boys - 52,336 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2638
- among boys today
- 52,336
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Willis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2638
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 82% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Willis was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
1,261 babies were named Willis in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Willis compares
52,336 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
Willis's all-time total is 143x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willis | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 52,336 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,261 | 23 | 22,252 |
Willis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Willis's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 25% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 75%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2022, with only 44 births recorded -- set against the 1924 peak of 1,261, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Willis at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1924
Current rank
#2,638
Active since
1880
Willis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 1,261
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Willis popularity over time - girls
818 total births recorded since 1887 (Willis as girls' name)
Willis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Willis's strongest decade.
11,704 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Willis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,388
1880s
1,388 births
- 1890s 1,331
1890s
1,331 births
- 1900s 1,468
1900s
1,468 births
- 1910s
1910s
7,339 births
- 1920s
1920s
11,704 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,191 births
- 1940s
1940s
6,161 births
- 1950s 4,586
1950s
4,586 births
- 1960s 3,058
1960s
3,058 births
- 1970s 2,213
1970s
2,213 births
- 1980s 1,923
1980s
1,923 births
- 1990s 1,232
1990s
1,232 births
- 2000s 752
2000s
752 births
- 2010s 660
2010s
660 births
- 2020s 330
2020s
330 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 11,704 births (22% of all-time use).
How Willis 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 Willis's total volume
Willis vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Willis by state
Where Willis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,689 | 5.1% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 2,381 | 4.5% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 2,330 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 2,246 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 2,106 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,905 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 1,778 | 3.4% |
| #8 | New York | | 1,758 | 3.4% |
Texas share of Willis's total US births 5.1%
Even split
2,689 of 52,336 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Willis appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willis? ▼
Willis has been given to 52,336 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2638 as of the latest data. 1,261 babies were born in 1924, its single highest year.
When was Willis most popular? ▼
Willis was most popular in the 1920s decade with 11,704 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Willis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Willis are Texas (2,689 births), North Carolina (2,381 births), Ohio (2,330 births).
How long has the name Willis been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Willis since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Willis? ▼
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 Willis's data
- Willis's decade-level peak was the 1920s (11,704 total births); usage has since declined to 330 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Williss (2,689 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Willis
Nearby Names Like Willis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willis
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
Wilson Boy
#644 48,807 births
Compare Willis side by side: Willis vs William Willis vs Willie Willis vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willis
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. "Willis: #2638 Boys' Name - 52,336 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willis. 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 Willis 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.