Given name & surname
Wily
“a clever and coy woman”·“of the willows”·“one who is crafty; from the meadow by the water”
Wily is a variant of Wylie. One American interpretation is “a clever and coy woman.” Wily is a variant of Wiley. Interpretations include “of the willows” (English) and “one who is crafty; from the meadow by the water” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Wily is a variant of Wylie. One American interpretation is “a clever and coy woman.” Wily is a variant of Wiley. Interpretations include “of the willows” (English) and “one who is crafty; from the meadow by the water” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Wily is a variant of Wylie. An origin associated with Wylie is American. Wily is a variant of Wiley. An origin associated with Wiley is English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2007. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Wily through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6
- 6 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 6 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 6 in 2007. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 189 as a first name in 2020; 129 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.
Wily’s family of names
Wily has a related form in Wiley. Wily has a related form in Wylie.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Wily, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Colwyn
“from the river” · “from the river in Wales”
>99% boys
Jaden
“resembling the green gemstone”
97% boys · 3% girls
Arjun
Arjun is used as a given name and a surname. One Sanskrit interpretation is “white: the colour of dawn, lightning, milk, and silver.”
>99% boys
Issaih
>99% boys
Wylden
>99% boys
Wafi
“one who is trustworthy”
>99% boys
Ieuan
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Ishant
>99% boys