Willis
Willis is a masculine given name which may refer to the following people:
Meaning & Origin of Willis
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Willis is a masculine given name which may refer to the following people:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Willis
Willis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 166 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 1,261 Williss were born — ranking #136 that year. As of 2026, Willis ranks #2,767 for baby boys with 47 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 52K Williss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Willis
Phonetically similar names — useful when Willis 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 Willis
What does the name Willis mean?
How popular is Willis in 2026?
When was Willis most popular?
In which U.S. states is Willis most popular?
Is Willis a unisex name?
What names go well with Willis?
About the name Willis
Willis is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 52K births in the dataset. Willis's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #86. Use the chart and map above to compare Willis's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1924 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.