Will Boy

Popularity: #771 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

PronunciationWIL / wɪl

English; Germanic

Meaning

Resolute protector; strong-willed

Historical & Cultural Background

Will is often a diminutive of William, which has been a popular name in English-speaking countries since the Norman Conquest. The name William itself has roots in Old High German, where it was derived from 'Willahelm'. Over the centuries, Will has been used as an independent name, reflecting a more casual and approachable form of the traditional William.

Trend Summary

Will has maintained a steady presence in U.S. naming trends, often ranking within the top 100 names for boys.

Similar Names

BillBenWesSamLukeMaxJakeNate

Variants

  • Willie
  • Willy

International Variants

  • Guillaume (French)
  • Guglielmo (Italian)
  • Wilhelm (German)

Famous people named Will

Will Smith is an American actor and musician known for his roles in films such as 'Men in Black' and the television series 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'.

Will Ferrell is an American comedian and actor recognized for his work on 'Saturday Night Live' and in films like 'Anchorman'.

Will Rogers was an American cowboy, vaudeville performer, and social commentator known for his wit and humor in the early 20th century.

Will.i.am is an American musician and producer, best known as a member of the Black Eyed Peas.

Fictional characters named Will

Will Turner is a character in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise, known for his adventurous spirit and romantic involvement with Elizabeth Swann.

Will Graham is a character in the 'Hannibal' series, portrayed as an FBI profiler with a unique ability to empathize with criminals.

Sibling Suggestions

JamesHenryThomasJackOliverCharlie

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Will was first seen in the United States in 1880. Will has ranked as high as #91 nationally, which occurred in 1888, and has been most popular in Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, and California. In the past 5 years the name Will has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Will (2001)

StateBirthsShare
CA 30
9%
TX 26
8%
MN 25
7%
IL 21
6%
IA 19
6%
NY 19
6%
OH 14
4%
FL 13
4%
TN 12
4%
MD 11
3%
MO 11
3%
CO 11
3%
PA 10
3%
VA 10
3%
GA 9
3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

YearBirths
1880588
1881550
1882666
1883576
1884650
1885625
1886642
1887561
1888707
1889631
1890613
1891520
1892607
1893538
1894559
1895485
1896508
1897491
1898475
1899414
1900603
1901364
1902359
1903293
1904287
1905286
1906253
1907260
1908274
1909267
1910278
1911230
1912256
1913280
1914319
1915362
1916362
1917339
1918363
1919373
1920368
1921373
1922358
1923370
1924354
1925367
1926333
1927300
1928323
1929277
1930259
1931237
1932242
1933224
1934215
1935305
1936233
1937230
1938231
1939226
1940209
1941226
1942220
1943206
1944235
1945191
1946207
1947209
1948239
1949220
1950224
1951191
1952211
1953209
1954207
1955157
1956192
1957217
1958183
1959207
1960225
1961225
1962201
1963242
1964235
1965196
1966205
1967167
1968213
1969192
1970230
1971207
1972185
1973207
1974224
1975224
1976224
1977226
1978233
1979272
1980270
1981233
1982262
1983223
1984205
1985201
1986204
1987233
1988241
1989277
1990289
1991295
1992252
1993268
1994248
1995266
1996280
1997268
1998339
1999422
2000447
2001389
2002403
2003433
2004452
2005503
2006473
2007457
2008432
2009457
2010396
2011357
2012352
2013315
2014313
2015270
2016277
2017239
2018242
2019217
2020234
2021199
2022178
2023185
2024153