Willis
Boy name · #2539 in 2025 · Very rare
Willis ranks #2539 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 52 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1955, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 34,615 boys born in 2025 was named Willis.
Babies named Willis per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Willis first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 166 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1924, when 1,261 boys were named Willis — good for #136 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Willis against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Willis in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Willis is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Willis will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Willis is most common
State-level data for Willis is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Willis
Statistically, parents drawn to Willis tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Morris, Weldon, Wilfred, Rufus, and Marion.
MorrisWeldonWilfredRufusMarionHermanBennieWilbur
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Willis | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 52 | #2539 |
| 2024 | 50 | #2637 |
| 2023 | 60 | #2315 |
| 2022 | 44 | #2873 |
| 2021 | 62 | #2253 |
| 2020 | 62 | #2212 |
| 2019 | 50 | #2582 |
| 2018 | 55 | #2385 |
| 2017 | 51 | #2493 |
| 2016 | 70 | #2028 |
| 2015 | 74 | #1955 |
| 2014 | 81 | #1828 |
| 2013 | 75 | #1878 |
| 2012 | 78 | #1863 |
| 2011 | 74 | #1886 |
| 2010 | 52 | #2402 |
| 2009 | 66 | #2077 |
| 2008 | 59 | #2237 |
| 2007 | 80 | #1811 |
| 2006 | 79 | #1758 |
| 2005 | 66 | #1922 |
| 2004 | 65 | #1880 |
| 2003 | 78 | #1611 |
| 2002 | 70 | #1682 |
| 2001 | 82 | #1481 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Willis a popular boy name?
Willis ranked #2539 among boys in 2025 with 52 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1955.
When was the name Willis most popular?
Willis peaked in 1924, when 1,261 American boys received the name (ranked #136 that year). Since 1924 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Willis?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 34,615 newborn American boys was named Willis. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.