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Willie

Willie: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“resolute protector”
Origin
English
Say it
WIL-ee · 2 syllables
Used for
Both (25% girls, 75% boys since 1880)

Diminutive of William, from Germanic elements meaning 'will, desire' and 'helmet, protection'. It has long been used as both a nickname and an independent given name.

English namesAmerican namesNames meaning protectorNames meaning strengthShort namesClassic names

How popular is Willie?

202443.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
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.

Babies named Willie in 2024143

2024 rank#1,367 boys

Peak year1910

Total US babies since 1880596,221

Willie is fading: recent use is about 52% of its level ten years before.

Names like Willie

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Averyruler of elves · English
  • Riverriver · English
  • Sawyerwoodcutter · English
  • TatumTata's homestead · English
  • EmersonEmery's son · English
  • Haydenhay valley · English
  • Sagewise one; sage plant · English
  • Remingtonsettlement by the streambank · English

Willie questions

What does the name Willie mean?

Willie means "resolute protector". It comes from English. Diminutive of William, from Germanic elements meaning 'will, desire' and 'helmet, protection'. It has long been used as both a nickname and an independent given name.

Is Willie a boy or girl name?

Willie is used for both: about 25% of US babies named Willie since 1880 were girls.

How popular is Willie?

143 US babies were named Willie in 2024. Its peak year was 1910.

How do you pronounce Willie?

Willie is usually pronounced WIL-ee.

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.