Is Willy a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Willy is commonly used as a Unisex name.

How popular is Willy?

It’s currently ranked #900 in the U.S. Recent trend: Falling.

Willy Unisex

Popularity: #900 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

German; English

Meaning

German: resolute protector; English: diminutive of William

Historical & Cultural Background

Willy is often considered a diminutive form of the name William, which has roots in Germanic languages. The name William became popular in England after the Norman Conquest. Willy has been used as a standalone name, particularly in the 20th century. It carries a friendly and approachable connotation.

Trend Summary

Willy has seen fluctuating popularity in the United States, with a notable decline in usage since the mid-20th century.

Variants

Will
Bill
Billy

International Variants

Guillermo (Spanish)
Wilhelm (German)
Guglielmo (Italian)

Famous people named Willy

Willy Brandt was a German statesman who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974.

Willy Wonka is a fictional character in Roald Dahl's novel 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

Willy Mays is a former professional baseball player, widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Willy Loman is a character in Arthur Miller's play 'Death of a Salesman'.

Fictional characters named Willy

Willy Wonka is the eccentric chocolatier in Roald Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

Willy the Pooh is a beloved bear character from A.A. Milne's children's stories.

Sibling Suggestions

Billy Charlie Jack Tommy Danny Freddy

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Willy was first seen in the United States in 1884. Willy has ranked as high as #1178 nationally, which occurred in 1993, and has not reached a level of popularity in any states at this time. In the past 5 years the name Willy has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

All data featured information on this baby name page is provided from official Social Security Administration databases. Names, Gender, and Birthdates are updated annually by the SSA for both national and state birth totals. Our records on the national level data back to 1880. If a chart starts after 1880 it's because that baby name first appeared in official SSA records at that time. If you're name shows a data after your birthdate as a start pointing, feel free to contact us using our contact section and we'll happily update with your birth year.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Willy (2021)

Year:

State	Births	Share
TX	7	58%
CA	5	42%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1884	5
1896	7
1902	5
1906	8
1908	8
1910	6
1911	7
1912	10
1913	6
1914	12
1915	16
1916	11
1917	16
1918	13
1919	18
1920	24
1921	14
1922	17
1923	17
1924	20
1925	20
1926	21
1927	18
1928	23
1929	22
1930	28
1931	26
1932	19
1933	23
1934	24
1935	24
1936	25
1937	28
1938	22
1939	24
1940	27
1941	28
1942	24
1943	33
1944	31
1945	29
1946	22
1947	27
1948	39
1949	22
1950	28
1951	32
1952	20
1953	32
1954	30
1955	26
1956	29
1957	39
1958	43
1959	47
1960	52
1961	52
1962	57
1963	46
1964	40
1965	47
1966	32
1967	26
1968	40
1969	28
1970	33
1971	29
1972	29
1973	48
1974	40
1975	32
1976	36
1977	40
1978	56
1979	36
1980	34
1981	43
1982	39
1983	31
1984	37
1985	42
1986	38
1987	47
1988	37
1989	35
1990	63
1991	58
1992	49
1993	69
1994	64
1995	48
1996	47
1997	41
1998	41
1999	55
2000	49
2001	59
2002	46
2003	49
2004	48
2005	48
2006	47
2007	49
2008	60
2009	48
2010	44
2011	41
2012	44
2013	38
2014	35
2015	30
2016	26
2017	26
2018	39
2019	29
2020	38
2021	30
2022	31
2023	20
2024	24