Given name & surname · also Old English
Willard
“a resolute and brave man”
Willard is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “a resolute and brave man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “a resolute and brave man.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old English.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Willard through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 78,542
- 77,658 boys · 884 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 2,924 babies
- 2025
- 47
- #2,760 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 47 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,760 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 16.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,889 in 1915. In 2025, Utah had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 22,615 as a first name in 2020; 20,179 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Willard’s family of names
In English usage, Willard has a diminutive in Will. Willard has a surname derivative in WILLARDSON. Willard has a related form in Willett.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Willdiminutive · English
- Willettvariant
- Willetvariant
- Wilardvariant
- Wilettvariant
- Wiletvariant
- Wilheardvariant
- Wilherdvariant
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Willard
- Will SmithAmerican actor, film producer and rapper (born 1968)
- Mitt RomneyAmerican politician and businessman (born 1947)
- Willard LibbyAmerican physical chemist1908–1980
- Willard BoyleCanadian physicist and inventor (1924–2011)
- Willard Van Orman QuineAmerican philosopher and logician (1900–2000)1908–2000
- Willard ScottAmerican weather presenter and television personality (1934–2021)
- S. S. Van DineAmerican art critic and writer (1888–1939)
- Willard MetcalfAmerican artist (1858-1925)
- Willard Schmidtbasketball player (1910–1965)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Willard, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Wilfred
“one who wishes for peace”
>99% boys
Winfield
“from a friend's field”
>99% boys
Wilbur
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Wilbert
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Wilford
“from the willow ford”
>99% boys
Weldon
“from the hill near a spring”
>99% boys
Waldo
“a powerful ruler”
>99% boys
Millard
“the guardian of the mill”
>99% boys