Total births
3,937
Boys' name · since 1884
Willy
Willy has 3,937 recorded births since 1884 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1993 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4324
- among boys today
- 3,937
- born since 1884
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Willy is the #4324 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,937 recorded since 1884.
Willy has 3,937 recorded births among boys since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4324 as of the latest data, more common than 70% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #4324 among boys today
- 3,937 born since 1884
- 1990s peak decade
- 70% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Willy is currently the #4324 boys' name in America, more common than 70% of boys - 3,937 born since 1884, peaking in the 1990s.
- #4324
- among boys today
- 3,937
- born since 1884
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
Willy vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4324
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 70% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Willy was born in this single decade.
1993
Single peak year
69 babies were named Willy in 1993 - its busiest year on record.
How Willy compares
3,937 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
Willy's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Willy | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,937 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 69 | 23 | 22,252 |
Willy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Willy splits its recorded history at 1965: 63% of all births land in the more recent half, 37% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1884 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1993 peak of 69 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Willy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1993
Current rank
#4,324
Active since
1884
Willy popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1993)
- 69
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Willy popularity over time - girls
116 total births recorded since 1913 (Willy as girls' name)
Willy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Willy's strongest decade.
535 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Willy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 7
1890s
7 births
- 1900s 21
1900s
21 births
- 1910s 115
1910s
115 births
- 1920s 196
1920s
196 births
- 1930s
1930s
243 births
- 1940s
1940s
282 births
- 1950s
1950s
326 births
- 1960s
1960s
420 births
- 1970s
1970s
379 births
- 1980s
1980s
383 births
- 1990s
1990s
535 births
- 2000s
2000s
503 births
- 2010s
2010s
352 births
- 2020s 170
2020s
170 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 535 births (14% of all-time use).
How Willy 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 Willy's total volume
Willy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Willy by state
Where Willy concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 533 | 13.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 322 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 187 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Florida | | 85 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 22 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 11 | 0.3% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 11 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 6 | 0.2% |
California share of Willy's total US births 13.5%
Even split
533 of 3,937 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Willy appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Willy? ▼
3,937 babies have been named Willy since 1884. It currently ranks #4324 among boys. The peak year was 1993 with 69 births.
When was Willy most popular? ▼
Willy was most popular in the 1990s decade with 535 total births. The single peak year was 1993.
Where is Willy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Willy are California (533 births), New York (322 births), Texas (187 births).
How long has the name Willy been used? ▼
Records for Willy go back to 1884, giving 142 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Willy? ▼
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 Willy's data
- Willy's decade-level peak was the 1990s (535 total births); usage has since declined to 170 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Willys (533 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 Willy
Nearby Names Like Willy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Willy
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 Willy side by side: Willy vs William Willy vs Willie Willy vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Willy
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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Willy: #4324 Boys' Name - 3,937 Births, Peak 1993." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/willy. 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 Willy 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.