Willie
Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to:
- English
Meaning & Origin of Willie
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Willie
As a girl name
Willie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 192 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 4,051 Willies were born — ranking #61 that year. As of 2026, Willie ranks #13,427 for girls with 6 births, rising sharply (+47% over the past five years). In total, more than 146K Willies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Willie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 476 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 7,995 Willies were born — ranking #42 that year. As of 2026, Willie ranks #1,500 for boys with 120 births, falling sharply (-35%). In total, more than 450K Willies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Willie
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Willie. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Where is Willie most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- BW23%
- Nigeria22%
- United States21%
- PG18%
- JM17%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Willie
Phonetically similar names — useful when Willie is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Willie
What does the name Willie mean?
What is the origin of the name Willie?
How popular is Willie in 2026?
When was Willie most popular?
In which U.S. states is Willie most popular?
Is Willie a unisex name?
What names go well with Willie?
What are nicknames or variants of Willie?
About the name Willie
Willie is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 450K births in the dataset. Willie's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #11. Use the chart and map above to compare Willie's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.