Willy
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
- German
- Dutch
Meaning & Origin of Willy
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
- German
- Dutch
The Story of Willy
Willy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1884, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1993: 69 births, good for #1,400 nationwide. As of 2026, Willy ranks #5,177 for baby boys with 19 births, falling sharply (-29%). All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Willy
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Willy. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Willy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Willy 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 Willy
What does the name Willy mean?
What is the origin of the name Willy?
How popular is Willy in 2026?
When was Willy most popular?
In which U.S. states is Willy most popular?
Is Willy a unisex name?
What names go well with Willy?
What are nicknames or variants of Willy?
About the name Willy
Willy is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Willy's peak popularity came in 1993 when it ranked #900. Use the chart and map above to compare Willy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1993 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- 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.