Total births
223
Unisex name · since 1915
Willoughby
223 babies named Willoughby in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 1923. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12491
- among boys today
- 223
- born since 1915
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
223 babies have been named Willoughby since 1915, making it today's #12491 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Willoughby has been recorded 223 times among boys since 1915, currently ranked #12491 nationally and more common than 13% 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 1915 to 2024.
- #12491 among boys today
- 223 born since 1915
- 1920s peak decade
- 13% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willoughby is currently the #12491 unisex name in America, more common than 13% of boys - 223 born since 1915, peaking in the 1920s.
- #12491
- among boys today
- 223
- born since 1915
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
Willoughby vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12491
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 13% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Willoughby was born in this single decade.
1923
Single peak year
15 babies were named Willoughby in 1923 - its busiest year on record.
How Willoughby compares
223 40th percentile among 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
Willoughby's all-time total is 39% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willoughby | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 223 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 15 | 23 | 22,252 |
Willoughby's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Willoughby's SSA record in two at 1933 and the more recent half accounts for 43% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 57%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1915, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1923 peak of 15, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Willoughby at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1923
Current rank
#12,491
Active since
1915
Willoughby popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2024
- Peak year (1923)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Willoughby popularity over time - girls
91 total births recorded since 2000 (Willoughby as girls' name)
Willoughby by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Willoughby's strongest decade.
82 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Willoughby births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 32
1910s
32 births
- 1920s
1920s
82 births
- 1930s 29
1930s
29 births
- 1940s 23
1940s
23 births
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
- 2010s
2010s
34 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 82 births (37% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willoughby? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 223 babies named Willoughby. Today it holds rank #12491 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1923, with 15 births.
When was Willoughby most popular? ▼
Willoughby was most popular in the 1920s decade with 82 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Is Willoughby a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Willoughby is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 223 births, and as a girl's name it has 91 births.
How long has the name Willoughby been used? ▼
Willoughby has been recorded in Social Security data since 1915, spanning 110 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Willoughby? ▼
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 Willoughby's data
- Willoughby's decade-level peak was the 1920s (82 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Willoughby
Nearby Names Like Willoughby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willoughby
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 Willoughby side by side: Willoughby vs William Willoughby vs Willie Willoughby vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willoughby
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, 1915–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Willoughby: #12491 Unisex Name - 223 Births, Peak 1923." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willoughby. 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 Willoughby 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.