Will
Boy nameWill has been given to 46,610 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1888.
Meaning & origin /wɪl/
Clipping of William or Willow, less often, other given names beginning with Wil-, such as Wilfred or Willard.
Origin: Germanic languages
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
46,610
Peak year
1888 (712 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -37%
Gender split
1% girls / 99% boys
Rank through the decades
Will's rank among U.S. boy names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Boys rank |
|---|---|
| 1900 | #43 |
| 1925 | #299 |
| 1950 | #445 |
| 1975 | #537 |
| 2000 | #510 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Spellings & variants
Names one letter away from Will — alternate spellings parents actually use.
Famous people named Will
Will Rogers
American humorist and entertainer (1879–1935)
Will Eisner
American cartoonist, writer and entrepreneur (1917–2005)
Will Patton
American actor
Will Grigg
Association football player (born 1991)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Will.
FAQ
How popular is the name Will?
Will has been given to 46,610 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Will peak?
Will peaked in 1888, when 712 babies were given the name.
Is Will a girl or boy name?
Will is primarily a boy name (99% of babies named Will are boys).
Get new name insights first
Occasional updates when we add new data & tools. No spam, unsubscribe anytime by replying to any email or writing to hello@zalize.com.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We store only your email address and the date you signed up.