Willy is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Willy means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Willy across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Willy has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Willy is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “pet form of William, resolute protector”. A diminutive of William, from wil (will) and helm (helmet).
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,053 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Willy per year, United States (1884 to 2025). United States peaked in 1993 (69/yr).
Willy is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1993, when it ranked #3,354 nationally (given to 69 babies that year).
Willie · Will · Willow · Wiley · Willa
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