boy's name
Willard
WIL-erd
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 78,610
Willard means bold desire, and both halves are Germanic words about force of will — it is a surname from a personal name, and its American use is almost entirely nineteenth-century onward. It peaked in 1915, and holds 78,545 lifetime births.
- Willard is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1915, when 2,924 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 70,542 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Willard 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 | 939 |
| 1890s | 1,252 |
| 1900s | 1,899 |
| 1910s | 15,640 |
| 1920s | 18,692 |
| 1930s | 12,604 |
| 1940s | 10,669 |
| 1950s | 7,060 |
| 1960s | 4,317 |
| 1970s | 2,262 |
| 1980s | 1,206 |
| 1990s | 748 |
| 2000s | 568 |
| 2010s | 440 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 246 |
What Willard means
Willard means bold desire, or strong will. The Germanic joins a word for will or desire to one meaning hardy or brave, so both elements describe determination.
Where Willard comes from
Willard is an English surname from the Middle English personal name Wilheard, joining wil — will or desire, the same element in William and Wilhelmina — to heard, hardy or brave, which also ends Richard and Bernard. It was a personal name before it was a surname, and became a given name again in nineteenth-century America. Frances Willard led the temperance movement, and the name is well established in the American South.
Willard in use
Willard peaked in the United States in 1915, when 2,924 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 2,761st in the United States on 47 births, across 78,610 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1880.
How popular is Willard?
In 2025, Willard was given to 47 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Willard 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 Willard
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Willard also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Willard over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Willard
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.
Sibling names for Willard
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Willard — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Willard
What does the name Willard mean?
Bold desire — the Germanic wil, will, joined to heard, hardy.
Is Willard related to William?
In its first element — wil, will or desire, begins both.
Was it a surname first?
It was a personal name, then a surname, then a given name again in nineteenth-century America.
How popular is Willard?
2761st in the United States, and our data marks it stable.
Is Willard a girl's or a boy's name?
Willard is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Willard?
Willard has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Willard?
Willard is usually shortened to Will.
Is Willard a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Willard currently ranks #2,761 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.