Willa

Willa: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “resolute protection”
Origin: Germanic
Say it: WIL-uh · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

Feminine form of Wilhelm or a short form of Wilhelmina, from Germanic elements meaning will, desire and helmet, protection. Also associated with American writer Willa Cather.

English names German names Scandinavian names Names meaning protector Names meaning strength Classic names Vintage names International names

How popular is Willa?

2024219 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Willa in 2024729

2024 rank#423 girls

Peak year2020

Total US babies since 188032,101

Willa is rising: use over the last five years is 2.3× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Willa

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Wilhelminaresolute protector · Germanic
Wilmaresolute protection · Germanic
Emmawhole, universal · Germanic
Ameliawork · Germanic
Ellaall, completely · Germanic
Alicenoble type · Germanic
Adelinenoble · Germanic
Emeryindustrious ruler · Germanic

Willa questions

What does the name Willa mean?

Willa means "resolute protection". It comes from Germanic. Feminine form of Wilhelm or a short form of Wilhelmina, from Germanic elements meaning will, desire and helmet, protection. Also associated with American writer Willa Cather.

Is Willa a boy or girl name?

Willa is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Willa?

729 US babies were named Willa in 2024. Its peak year was 2020.

How do you pronounce Willa?

Willa is usually pronounced WIL-uh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.