Unisex · #12,301 in 2026

Willoughby

Willoughby is a masculine given name which may refer to:Willoughby Aston (disambiguation), three Aston baronets Willoughby J. Edbrooke (1843–1896), American architect Willoughby Gray (1916–1993), English actor Willoughby Hamilton (1864–1943), Irish tennis, football and badminton player Willoughby D.

Current Rank
#12,301
Peak Rank
#2,123 (1923)
Total Babies
223
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #9,543 (86 total)
👦 Boy peak #2,123 (223 total)
👦As Boy Name
1915
First Year
2024
Last Year
1923
Peak Year
#2123
Peak Rank
223
Total Count
32
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
2000
First Year
2024
Last Year
2020
Peak Year
#9543
Peak Rank
86
Total Count
12
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Willoughby

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Willoughby is a masculine given name which may refer to:Willoughby Aston (disambiguation), three Aston baronets Willoughby J. Edbrooke (1843–1896), American architect Willoughby Gray (1916–1993), English actor Willoughby Hamilton (1864–1943), Irish tennis, football and badminton player Willoughby D.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Willoughby

As a girl name

Willoughby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2000, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 10 Willoughbys were born — ranking #9,543 that year. As of 2026, Willoughby ranks #9,521 for girls with 10 births, holding steady (+4%). In total, more than 86 Willoughbys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Willoughby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1923, when 15 Willoughbys were born — ranking #2,123 that year. As of 2026, Willoughby ranks #12,301 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 223 Willoughbys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Willoughby

Phonetically similar names — useful when Willoughby is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Wallaby
  • Wallabee
  • Wilby
  • Syllabi
  • Welby
  • Wallabies
  • Willowy
  • Walby
  • Willable
  • Hilby
  • Lullaby
  • Wannabe

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Willoughby

What does the name Willoughby mean?
Willoughby is a masculine given name which may refer to:Willoughby Aston (disambiguation), three Aston baronets Willoughby J. Edbrooke (1843–1896), American architect Willoughby Gray (1916–1993), English actor Willoughby Hamilton (1864–1943), Irish tennis, football and badminton player Willoughby D.
How popular is Willoughby in 2026?
In 2026, Willoughby ranks #12,301 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Willoughby most popular?
Willoughby reached its peak popularity in 1923, ranking #2,123 that year with 15 babies given the name.
Is Willoughby a unisex name?
Yes — Willoughby is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 28% of Willoughbys assigned female and 72% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Willoughby?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Willoughby include Coley, Needham, Esaw. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Willoughby

Willoughby is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 223 births in the dataset. Willoughby's peak popularity came in 1923 when it ranked #2,123. Use the chart and map above to compare Willoughby's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.