Willa

Willa - A very unique female name

Willa appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #327. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Willa and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Willa? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Willa. The baby girl name Willa was given to 717 baby girls in 2025, ranking #421 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,818 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Willa peaked in popularity 94 years ago in 1932 on position 273.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Willa, 1-5?

Willa is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Willa is currently topping the baby name charts in North Dakota at position #115 - and is the least popular in Arizona at position #1,030.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Willa is where you live.

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Willa origin and meaning

Germanic

Feminine form of Will/William, from Germanic wil, 'will, desire' — the 'helmet/protection' element belongs to William's full form

Willa was a quiet early-1900s name that faded mid-century, then returned with author Willa Cather's prestige and the vintage revival. It peaked most recently in 2019 and has eased to #421, still well above its mid-century low.

Attested etymology

Willa is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Willa, pop culture references for the name Willa and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Willa

We've found the following names that sound similar to Willa, sorted by popularity.

Willie / Willow / Willia / Wylie / Will / Willye / Willo / Wiley / Wally /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Willa

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Willa a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Willa?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

WIL-uh · /ˈwɪlə/

Around the world

• Willa (German) — Used as a German short form in the William family

Spellings and nicknames

• Wilhelmina — Full form in the same family

Nicknames: Will

Famous bearers

• Willa Cather — Novelist, author of My Ántonia and O Pioneers! (1873–1947) Historical
• Willa Holland — Actress known for Arrow (b. 1991) Contemporary

Style

ClassicLiteraryVintage revivalShort form

Why parents choose it

It is Willow's vintage, literary cousin — short, soft, and story-rich.

Worth knowing

• Often misheard as Willow, which is far more popular, or taken as merely a nickname for Wilhelmina.