Willie

Willie - A very unique male name

Willie appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #11. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Willie and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Willie? 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 Willie. The baby boy name Willie was given to 109 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1258 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 13,452 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Willie peaked in popularity 116 years ago in 1910 on position 11.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Willie, 1-5?

Willie is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Willie is currently topping the baby name charts in Mississippi at position #466 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #1,646.

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 Willie is where you live.

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Willie origin and meaning

Diminutive of William (Germanic)

A diminutive of William — 'resolute protector,' from wil, will or desire, and helm, helmet or protection.

Willie was once a giant standalone name — nearly 8,000 births at its 1947 peak — and works both as a given name and as William's everyday form. It has fallen for decades but remains warmly familiar.

Attested etymology

Willie is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Willie

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

Will / Wiley / Wylie / Wally / Willy / Wali / Wilho / Wael / Wil / Willow /

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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 Willie

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 Willie 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 male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Willie?

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-ee · /ˈwɪli/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Willy — The y-ending spelling of the same diminutive.

Famous bearers

• Willie Nelson — Country singer-songwriter (b. 1933) Contemporary
• Willie Mays — Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder (1931–2024) Contemporary

Style

Nickname nameClassicVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Willie for its unpretentious, musical warmth — often a direct honour name.

Worth knowing

• It is usually assumed to be short for William, and it reads as a nickname on formal documents.