Total births
65,095
Girls' name · since 1890
Willow
Willow has 65,095 recorded births since 1890 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #41
- among girls today
- 65,095
- born since 1890
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Willow currently ranks #41 among girls' names in America, with 65,095 babies recorded since 1890.
Willow has 65,095 recorded births among girls since 1890, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #41 as of the latest data, more common than 99.8% of girls, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1890 to 2025.
- #41 among girls today
- 65,095 born since 1890
- 2020s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willow is currently the #41 girls' name in America, more common than 99.8% of girls - 65,095 born since 1890, peaking in the 2020s.
- #41
- among girls today
- 65,095
- born since 1890
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Willow vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#41
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
44% of everyone ever named Willow was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
5,195 babies were named Willow in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Willow compares
65,095 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Willow's all-time total is 170x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willow | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 65,095 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,195 | 48 | 19,840 |
Willow's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Willow's full recorded timeline at 1965, 98% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 2% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1890, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2021 peak of 5,195 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Willow at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
2021
Current rank
#41
Active since
1890
Willow popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1890–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 5,195
- Annual births at peak, across 136 years of records
Willow popularity over time - boys
465 total births recorded since 1924 (Willow as boys' name)
Willow by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Willow's strongest decade.
28,868 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Willow births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 40
1900s
40 births
- 1910s 111
1910s
111 births
- 1920s 252
1920s
252 births
- 1930s 208
1930s
208 births
- 1940s 175
1940s
175 births
- 1950s 138
1950s
138 births
- 1960s 139
1960s
139 births
- 1970s 502
1970s
502 births
- 1980s 344
1980s
344 births
- 1990s 1,217
1990s
1,217 births
- 2000s 6,024
2000s
6,024 births
- 2010s
2010s
27,072 births
- 2020s
2020s
28,868 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 28,868 births (44% of all-time use).
How Willow compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Willow's total volume
Willow vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Willow by state
Where Willow concentrates geographically, total births since 1890
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,103 | 6.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,675 | 5.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 3,218 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 2,850 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 2,849 | 4.4% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 2,444 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 2,384 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 2,355 | 3.6% |
California share of Willow's total US births 6.3%
Even split
4,103 of 65,095 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Willow appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willow? ▼
Willow has been given to 65,095 babies in the U.S. since 1890, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #41 as of the latest data. 5,195 babies were born in 2021, its single highest year.
When was Willow most popular? ▼
Willow was most popular in the 2020s decade with 28,868 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Willow most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Willow are California (4,103 births), Texas (3,675 births), Ohio (3,218 births).
How long has the name Willow been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Willow since 1890 -- 136 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Willow? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Willie, Wilma, Willa, William, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Willow's data
- California records the most Willows (4,103 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 Willow
Nearby Names Like Willow
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willow
Willie Girl
#13478 146,197 births
Wilma Girl
#3967 140,101 births
Willa Girl
#423 32,824 births
William Girl
#10275 16,029 births
Wilhelmina Girl
#1796 13,094 births
Compare Willow side by side: Willow vs Willie Willow vs Wilma Willow vs Willa
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willow
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, 1890–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Willow: #41 Girls' Name - 65,095 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willow. 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 Willow 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.