girl's name
Willa
WIL-uh
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 34,574
the United States
#422
2025 births
Willa is a girl's name of Germanic origin meaning "resolute" or "will". It is the feminine of William, formed by clipping rather than by a separate line, and belongs with Wilhelmina and Billie among that name's female descendants.
- Willa is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 2019, when 889 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,468 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Willa over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 239 |
| 1890s | 527 |
| 1900s | 890 |
| 1910s | 2,669 |
| 1920s | 4,799 |
| 1930s | 4,458 |
| 1940s | 3,415 |
| 1950s | 2,118 |
| 1960s | 956 |
| 1970s | 333 |
| 1980s | 283 |
| 1990s | 404 |
| 2000s | 1,344 |
| 2010s | 5,652 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,761 |
What Willa means
Willa means will or determination, from the Germanic wil, the first element of William. The second element of the full name, helm, a helmet, is dropped, so Willa keeps the resolve and loses the armor.
Where Willa comes from
Willa is a short feminine form of Wilhelmina, itself the feminine of Wilhelm — Germanic wil, will or desire, plus helm, a helmet or protection, giving resolute protector. William arrived in England with the Conqueror and became so dominant that a great many English surnames descend from it. Willa developed as a clipped feminine in the nineteenth century, and Willa Cather, who wrote My Ántonia and Death Comes for the Archbishop, is its best-known bearer. It appears in our records in every year from 1880.
Willa in use
Willa appears in our records from 1880 and peaked in 2019.
How popular is Willa?
In 2025, Willa was given to 742 babies in the United States, ranking #422 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Willa is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Willa
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Willa also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Willa over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Willa
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Willa in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Wilhelmina
- Polish
- Wilhelmina
- Swedish
- Wilhelmina
Sibling names for Willa
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Willa — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Willa
What does the name Willa mean?
Will or resolve, from the Germanic wil — the first element of William.
Is Willa short for Wilhelmina?
Yes, though it now stands independently.
Is Willa the same as Willow?
No. Willow is the tree, from the Old English welig. They are unrelated.
How popular is the name Willa?
In 2025, Willa was given to 742 babies in the United States, ranking #422 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Willa a girl's or a boy's name?
Willa is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Willa?
Willa has 2 syllables.
When was Willa most popular?
Willa peaked in 2019, when 889 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Willa?
Willa is usually shortened to Will.
Is Willa a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Willa currently ranks #422 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.