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.
- English
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Willoughby
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Willoughby as a girl name dates back to 2000, when 5 babies received it. 2020 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Willoughby — #9,543 in the national rankings. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 50% of all recorded Willoughbys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (10 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. 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. The name hit its high-water mark in 1923: 15 births, good for #2,123 nationwide. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 37% of all recorded Willoughbys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. 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
Popularity by State
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.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Willoughby
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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
- Top names of 1923 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "W" →
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- 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.