The first name Willa
A girl’s name.
2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Derived from Wilhelmina and recoined in the 19th century in America based on the male given names Will and William.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 52 girls were named Willa, making it the 705th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 57 births (#670).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Willa with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Willa at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 742 girls born in the United States were named Willa, the 422nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2019, when 889 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Willa
7 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Willa CatherAmerican writer (1873–1947)
- Willa HollandAmerican actress, born 1991
- Willa FitzgeraldAmerican actress (born 1991)
- Willa FordAmerican actor, model, singer, composer, dancer and musician, born 1981
- Willa BrownAmerican pilot and aviation educator (1906-1992)
- Willa of TuscanyCountess of Ivrea (911/912–970)
- Guilla of ProvenceEarly medieval Frankish queen, born 873
Questions
- What does the name Willa mean?
- Derived from Wilhelmina and recoined in the 19th century in America based on the male given names Will and William.
- How popular is the name Willa?
- In 2025, 52 girls born in England and Wales were named Willa, ranking 705th. Its peak was 2024, with 57 births.
- Is Willa a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 32,848 US babies named Willa since 1880 were girls.
- When was Willa most popular?
- 2019 in the United States, when 889 babies were named Willa, its highest rank at 356th.