Given name & surname
Willet
“a resolute and brave man”
Willet is a variant of Willard. One German interpretation is “a resolute and brave man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Willet is a variant of Willard. One German interpretation is “a resolute and brave man.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Willet is a variant of Willard. An origin associated with Willard is Old English.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Willet as a surname has a patronymic derivation linked to Will.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Willet is a variant of Willard. The history of Willard gives this family its wider story. Willard’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Willet through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 100
- 94 boys · 6 girls
- Most popular year
- 1922
- 11 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1940. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 9 in 1926. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 137 as a first name in 2020; 1,282 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.
Willet’s family of names
In English usage, Willet as a surname has a patronymic derivation linked to Will. Willet has a related form in Willard. In English usage, Willet as a surname has a related form in Willette.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Willet
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Willet, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Wilbert
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Wilton
“from the town on the river”
>99% boys
Wilber
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Wilfred
“one who wishes for peace”
>99% boys
Willis
“will” · “desire”
>99% boys
Wiley
“of the willows” · “one who is crafty; from the meadow by the water”
88% boys · 12% girls
Wilmer
“a strong-willed and wellknown man”
>99% boys
Wilbur
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys