Willow
A female given name from English of modern usage.
Every Willow since 1890 — 65,560 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Willow
Willow is a top-50 name for girls in the United States, ranked #44 in 2025 with 4,763 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1890, 65,560 American babies have been named Willow. Its peak came in 2021, when 5,231 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Willow stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Willow year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,763 | #44 | 23 | #4,530 |
| 2024 | 4,672 | #41 | 30 | #3,785 |
| 2023 | 4,765 | #41 | 48 | #2,734 |
| 2022 | 5,072 | #37 | 39 | #3,149 |
| 2021 | 5,195 | #39 | 36 | #3,291 |
| 2020 | 4,401 | #48 | 19 | #5,029 |
| 2019 | 4,609 | #45 | 27 | #3,996 |
| 2018 | 3,933 | #60 | 27 | #3,987 |
| 2017 | 3,569 | #80 | 13 | #6,653 |
| 2016 | 3,125 | #96 | 17 | #5,540 |
| 2015 | 2,811 | #111 | 15 | #5,976 |
| 2014 | 2,410 | #136 | 15 | #5,983 |
| 2013 | 2,079 | #155 | 20 | #4,793 |
| 2012 | 1,839 | #171 | 15 | #5,981 |
| 2011 | 1,575 | #199 | 8 | #9,559 |
| 2010 | 1,122 | #288 | 7 | #10,705 |
| 2009 | 1,054 | #312 | — | — |
| 2008 | 797 | #405 | — | — |
| 2007 | 771 | #426 | 12 | #7,060 |
| 2006 | 578 | #525 | 5 | #13,941 |
| 2005 | 542 | #532 | 7 | #10,105 |
| 2004 | 519 | #549 | 8 | #8,891 |
| 2003 | 537 | #527 | 7 | #9,544 |
| 2002 | 546 | #505 | 7 | #9,355 |
| 2001 | 379 | #666 | — | — |
| 2000 | 301 | #761 | 6 | #10,304 |
| 1995 | 90 | #1,650 | — | — |
| 1990 | 29 | #3,711 | — | — |
| 1985 | 37 | #2,655 | — | — |
| 1980 | 60 | #1,831 | — | — |
| 1975 | 53 | #1,778 | — | — |
| 1970 | 20 | #3,309 | — | — |
| 1965 | 11 | #4,199 | — | — |
| 1960 | 15 | #3,356 | — | — |
| 1955 | 21 | #2,470 | — | — |
| 1950 | 14 | #2,905 | — | — |
| 1945 | 21 | #1,872 | — | — |
| 1940 | 16 | #2,106 | — | — |
| 1935 | 14 | #2,303 | — | — |
| 1930 | 19 | #1,932 | — | — |
| 1925 | 27 | #1,646 | — | — |
| 1920 | 20 | #2,013 | — | — |
| 1915 | 23 | #1,570 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,530 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Willow
- Willow Smith Singer · b. 2000
- Willow Shields Actor · b. 2000
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Willow mean?
A female given name from English of modern usage.
How popular is the name Willow in 2025?
Willow ranked #44 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 4,763 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Willow?
65,560 babies have been named Willow in the United States since 1890, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Willow most popular?
Willow peaked in 2021, when 5,231 newborns received the name.
Is Willow a boy or girl name?
Willow is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Willow rising or falling?
Willow is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Willow?
Well-known people named Willow include Willow Smith (singer), Willow Shields (actor).