Will

Meaning: Will and helmet
Origin: Variant of William (from Germanic)

Boy's name · #1195 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Will is an heirloom: its strongest era came around 1882, when it ranked #25. It has thinned since but never left the records — about 46,000 boys since 1880, ranked #1195 today. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Will is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 19 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Will ranks in other countries and regions.

#343 in N. Ireland (2025) · #393 in Belgium (2025) · #507 in Ireland (2025) · #1,428 in France (2025) · #2,921 in England & Wales (2025) · #769 in Canada (2024).

Famous Wills

Will Smith — American actor, film producer and rapper (born 1968)
Will Ferrell — American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer (born 1967)
Will Durant — American historian, philosopher and writer (1885–1981)
Will Rogers — American humorist and entertainer (1879–1935)
Will Poulter — British actor

In stories & tradition

Will Turner — Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (film)
Will Byers — Stranger Things (TV series)
Will Scarlet — Robin Hood

What Wills become

Among 2,032 notable people named Will:

Sports figures appear 2.08× more often than among typical names — e.g. Will Grigg, British footballer (born 1991).

Similar names: Willie · Elmer · Whit · Ernest · Emil · Cecil

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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