Girl nameCurrently #41 in the USRising
Willow
WIL-oh//ˈwɪloʊ//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20216 lettersStarts with W
Meaning & origin
Willow tree
Willow is a nature name taken from the graceful, drooping tree long associated in folklore with flexibility, healing, and grief. Its use as a first name is largely a late-20th-century development, growing quickly popular alongside other botanical names from the 1990s onward.
Willow's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Willow |
|---|---|
| 1890 | 5 |
| 1902 | 5 |
| 1904 | 8 |
| 1906 | 8 |
| 1907 | 5 |
| 1908 | 9 |
| 1909 | 5 |
| 1912 | 6 |
| 1913 | 12 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 23 |
| 1916 | 20 |
| 1917 | 10 |
| 1918 | 15 |
| 1919 | 14 |
| 1920 | 20 |
| 1921 | 23 |
| 1922 | 15 |
| 1923 | 27 |
| 1924 | 32 |
| 1925 | 27 |
| 1926 | 35 |
| 1927 | 23 |
| 1928 | 30 |
| 1929 | 26 |
| 1930 | 19 |
| 1931 | 24 |
| 1932 | 26 |
| 1933 | 24 |
| 1934 | 23 |
| 1935 | 14 |
| 1936 | 24 |
| 1937 | 13 |
| 1938 | 22 |
| 1939 | 19 |
| 1940 | 16 |
| 1941 | 15 |
| 1942 | 12 |
| 1943 | 14 |
| 1944 | 23 |
| 1945 | 21 |
| 1946 | 20 |
| 1947 | 24 |
| 1948 | 18 |
| 1949 | 12 |
| 1950 | 14 |
| 1951 | 13 |
| 1952 | 10 |
| 1953 | 17 |
| 1954 | 12 |
| 1955 | 21 |
| 1956 | 16 |
| 1957 | 14 |
| 1958 | 8 |
| 1959 | 13 |
| 1960 | 15 |
| 1961 | 13 |
| 1962 | 12 |
| 1963 | 12 |
| 1964 | 20 |
| 1965 | 11 |
| 1966 | 14 |
| 1967 | 10 |
| 1968 | 15 |
| 1969 | 17 |
| 1970 | 20 |
| 1971 | 33 |
| 1972 | 32 |
| 1973 | 43 |
| 1974 | 54 |
| 1975 | 53 |
| 1976 | 66 |
| 1977 | 64 |
| 1978 | 75 |
| 1979 | 67 |
| 1980 | 60 |
| 1981 | 41 |
| 1982 | 41 |
| 1983 | 32 |
| 1984 | 30 |
| 1985 | 37 |
| 1986 | 22 |
| 1987 | 21 |
| 1988 | 26 |
| 1989 | 35 |
| 1990 | 29 |
| 1991 | 61 |
| 1992 | 59 |
| 1993 | 51 |
| 1994 | 84 |
| 1995 | 90 |
| 1996 | 133 |
| 1997 | 175 |
| 1998 | 256 |
| 1999 | 322 |
| 2000 | 307 |
| 2001 | 379 |
| 2002 | 553 |
| 2003 | 544 |
| 2004 | 527 |
| 2005 | 549 |
| 2006 | 583 |
| 2007 | 783 |
| 2008 | 797 |
| 2009 | 1,053 |
| 2010 | 1,128 |
| 2011 | 1,583 |
| 2012 | 1,853 |
| 2013 | 2,099 |
| 2014 | 2,425 |
| 2015 | 2,826 |
| 2016 | 3,141 |
| 2017 | 3,582 |
| 2018 | 3,960 |
| 2019 | 4,630 |
| 2020 | 4,415 |
| 2021 | 5,229 |
| 2022 | 5,103 |
| 2023 | 4,809 |
| 2024 | 4,683 |
Willow through the decades
- Willow peaked in 2021, when 5,229 babies were named Willow in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Willow has risen 230% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Willow currently ranks #41 in the US and is on the rise.
Nicknames
WillWilla
Variants & spellings
Willa
Famous people named Willow
- Willow Smith — singer