Girl name · Germanic
Willa
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: resolute protectorWilla is a girl's name that comes from Germanic and means "resolute protector". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Resolute protector
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #422 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Willa
As a girl's name, Willa comes from Germanic and means "resolute protector". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Willa on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Willa on 4 lists.
“Feminine William, resolute protector; a prairie novelist's name”
From Cowboy names, cowgirl names
“A feminine form of William; soft and graceful”
From Female cat names, classic girl cat names
“Feminine of William, for a strong-minded mare”
From Horse names, horse names for mares
“Will and protection; Germanic. Shared with prairie novelist Cather”
From Strong female names, brave and bold girl names
How popular is Willa?
- US rank in 2025
- #422
- 742 babies, 462 per million girls
- Best rank
- #274 in 1932
- Most babies: 889 in 2019
- Babies since 1880
- At least 32,824
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 182 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 237 per million |
| 1900s | 304 per million |
| 1910s | 327 per million |
| 1920s | 401 per million |
| 1930s | 416 per million |
| 1940s | 236 per million |
| 1950s | 110 per million |
| 1960s | 52 per million |
| 1970s | 22 per million |
| 1980s | 16 per million |
| 1990s | 22 per million |
| 2000s | 73 per million |
| 2010s | 323 per million |
| 2020s | 489 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #461 | #454 | #383 | #356 | #350 | #351 | #396 | #430 | #423 | #422 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Willa
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BillieResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- GuillerminaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- MinnieResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- WilhelminaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- WillemijnResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- WilliaminaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- WilmaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
Names spelled like Willa
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- WillowWillow tree (Old English, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
- WilliamResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- OsmundGod protector (Old English, boy)
- RamonaCounsel protector (Germanic, girl)
- RaymondCounsel protector (Germanic, boy)
- BillyResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- EdmundoRich protector (Old English, boy)
- GeirmundSpear and protector (Old Norse, boy)
- GopalCowherd, protector of cows (Sanskrit, boy)
- GovindProtector of cows (Sanskrit, boy)
Middle names for Willa
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
Willa: common questions
What does the name Willa mean?
Willa comes from Germanic and means "resolute protector".
Is Willa a boy or girl name?
Willa is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Willa come from?
Willa comes from Germanic and means "resolute protector". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Willa?
Willa ranked #422 in the US in 2025, with 742 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Willa?
Forms of Willa with the same meaning and origin include Billie (English), Guillermina (Spanish), Minnie (English), Wilhelmina (Dutch) and Willemijn (Dutch).
What middle names go with Willa?
Middle names that flow well with Willa include Agnes, Briar, Estelle, Evangeline and Faith. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.