Fun Facts About the Name Willson
- 368 babies named Willson: U.S. records list 368 babies given the name Willson from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Willson Mean?
Willson is an English family name used as a given name, and it means "son of William." It is a variant spelling of the surname Wilson, formed in Middle English from the personal name Will - a short form of William - plus son. William itself came into English through Old French Guillaume, from a Germanic name usually reconstructed as Willahelm, made of elements meaning "will, desire" and "helmet, protection." The Germanic name is therefore often interpreted as "resolute protector," but the everyday sense of Willson as a name is simply the patronymic one: a son of a man named William.
Willson Name History & Origins
Patronymic surnames of the "son of" type became common in England in the centuries after the Norman Conquest, as growing populations made a second name necessary for distinguishing individuals. Wilson and its less frequent spelling Willson grew out of this pattern, using the very common personal name William and its everyday short forms Will and Wille. Both spellings arose in English use independently of any single family, and the double l simply reflects one way English scribes wrote the short form of William.
As a given name, Willson belongs to the broad category of surnames transferred into first-name use. This practice became well established in the English-speaking world, and especially in the United States, during the 19th century, when a mother's maiden name or another family surname was often given to a child. Used this way, Willson is uncommon compared with the one-l Wilson, and much of the name's public visibility comes from people who bore it as a surname, such as the American composer Meredith Willson, whose work includes the musical The Music Man. The one-l spelling is the form most familiar through figures such as President Woodrow Wilson, but that difference is a matter of spelling convention rather than a separate origin.
How Popular is the Name Willson?
Willson 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 2014. Its best rank was #2,645 in 1914.
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 | #9,658 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #14,120 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #8,251 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2021 | #7,553 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #6,269 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #6,747 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #8,122 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #12,170 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #6,702 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #8,708 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #6,289 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #8,745 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #7,527 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #10,725 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #9,646 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #10,922 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #8,987 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #8,881 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #10,610 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #11,414 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #9,898 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #7,798 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #8,416 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #10,305 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #6,515 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #6,297 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #7,258 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #10,481 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #10,283 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #7,614 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #7,237 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #5,803 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #6,912 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #5,732 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #6,932 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #5,641 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #4,007 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1939 | #3,960 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #4,012 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #3,774 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #4,885 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,209 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1919 | #4,798 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #4,797 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1917 | #4,590 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #3,888 | 6 | 0.0007% |
| 1914 | #2,645 | 8 | 0.0012% |
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.
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How the Name Willson 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.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Willson's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Willson's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.