Given name & surname · also Old English
Willoughby
“from the willow farm”
Willoughby is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the willow farm.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the willow farm.”
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.
Willoughby through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 314
- 223 boys · 91 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 17 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #17,134 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +22%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 17,134 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 8.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 328 as a first name in 2020; 15,522 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.
Willoughby’s family of names
Willoughby has a related form in Wiligby. Willoughby has a related form in Willobee. Willoughby has a related form in Willobey.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Willoughby
- Willoughby HamiltonIrish tennis and badminton player (1864–1943)
- Willoughby SmithBritish engineer (1828–1891)
- Willoughby GrayBritish actor (1916–1993)
- Willoughby D. MillerAmerican dentist (1853–1907)
- Willoughby Newtonpolitician from Virginia, USA (1802-1874)
- Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of AbingdonEnglish peer and music patron1740–1799
- Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon3rd Earl of Abingdon1692–1760
- Willoughby CottonBritish Army general1783–1860
- Willoughby ShortlandBritish naval officer and colonial administrator (1804-1869)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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