Willard
Boy name · #2718 in 2025 · Uniqueness 73/100
In 2025, 47 baby boys were named Willard, placing it at #2718 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2722, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 38,298 boys born in 2025 was named Willard.
The 145-year story
Willard first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 88 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1915, when 2,889 boys were named Willard — good for #58 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Willard per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Willard against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Willard in class?
Willard scores 73 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Willard will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Willard is most common
State-level data for Willard is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Willard
Statistically, parents drawn to Willard tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Bernard, Howard, Wilfred, Wilbur, and Weldon.
BernardHowardWilfredWilburWeldonCliffordWillisWoodrow
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Willard | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 47 | #2718 |
| 2024 | 42 | #2958 |
| 2023 | 43 | #2895 |
| 2022 | 41 | #3003 |
| 2021 | 29 | #3740 |
| 2020 | 44 | #2759 |
| 2019 | 46 | #2736 |
| 2018 | 50 | #2546 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2345 |
| 2016 | 47 | #2626 |
| 2015 | 44 | #2722 |
| 2014 | 35 | #3154 |
| 2013 | 31 | #3405 |
| 2012 | 47 | #2594 |
| 2011 | 36 | #3114 |
| 2010 | 49 | #2511 |
| 2009 | 40 | #2946 |
| 2008 | 57 | #2291 |
| 2007 | 48 | #2564 |
| 2006 | 56 | #2248 |
| 2005 | 60 | #2061 |
| 2004 | 63 | #1934 |
| 2003 | 59 | #1962 |
| 2002 | 64 | #1792 |
| 2001 | 61 | #1816 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Willard a popular boy name?
Willard ranked #2718 among boys in 2025 with 47 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2722.
When was the name Willard most popular?
Willard peaked in 1915, when 2,889 American boys received the name (ranked #58 that year). Since 1915 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Willard?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 38,298 newborn American boys was named Willard. It scores 73/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.