Fun Facts About the Name Wil
- More than 1 thousand babies named Wil: U.S. records list 1,094 babies given the name Wil from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Wil Mean?
Wil is an English short form of William, a Germanic name meaning "resolute protector." William derives from the compound Willahelm, made of wil, "will" or "desire," and helm, "helmet" or "protection"; the literal sense is closer to "will-helmet" or "desire-protection," while "resolute protector" is the customary interpretation. The name passed into Old French as Guillaume and into Latin as Gulielmus. In this use Wil has no separate etymology of its own; it carries the meaning of the fuller name.
Wil Name History & Origins
The element wil, "will" or "desire," appears in many Germanic compound names. William's Frankish ancestor Willahelm became Guillaume in Old French and Gulielmus in Latin; after the Norman Conquest, William became common in England, and speakers shortened it to forms including Will and Wil. Wil is therefore a diminutive of the longer name rather than an ancient name in its own right. In Dutch and German, Wil is also used as a short form of Willem and Wilhelm, and as a feminine short form of Wilhelmina and Wilhelmine. Other names beginning with the same element, such as Wilfred and Wilbert, are separate compounds with different second elements and should not be treated as the source of Wil's meaning.
How Popular is the Name Wil?
Wil has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2005. Its best rank was #2,124 in 1998.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,797 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #10,818 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #12,159 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #7,230 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #9,643 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #10,541 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #8,175 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #10,692 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #6,650 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #5,115 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #5,049 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2014 | #7,024 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #5,160 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #5,976 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2011 | #5,930 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #4,090 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2009 | #5,090 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #4,135 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #3,085 | 38 | 0.0018% |
| 2006 | #2,877 | 40 | 0.0019% |
| 2005 | #2,430 | 48 | 0.0024% |
| 2004 | #2,787 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 2003 | #2,309 | 47 | 0.0024% |
| 2002 | #3,343 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2001 | #2,678 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2000 | #2,424 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 1999 | #2,229 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 1998 | #2,124 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 1997 | #3,062 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1996 | #2,677 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1995 | #2,623 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1994 | #2,555 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1993 | #2,940 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #2,302 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 1991 | #2,681 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1990 | #2,370 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1989 | #2,541 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1988 | #2,142 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1987 | #3,332 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #3,264 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1985 | #4,039 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #4,206 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #6,368 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #6,243 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,511 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #5,342 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #6,737 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,827 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #6,481 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,210 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #4,492 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #3,957 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #4,365 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #2,888 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #4,123 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #3,920 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,579 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #2,851 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #4,580 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1953 | #4,325 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Wil
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with W
Unique Short Boy Names That Start with W
How the Name Wil Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Wil's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Wil's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.