Wilco
A Dutch masculine name derived from the phrase "Will comply".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Wilco. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wilco today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wilco births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wilco. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wilco. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#14,090
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Wilco: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wilco by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wilco during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Wilco
Wilco is a Dutch given name that originated in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old Dutch words "wil" meaning "will" or "desire" and "co" which was a common diminutive suffix at the time, similar to the English "-y" or "-ie" endings. Thus, Wilco essentially means "little will" or "little desire."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Wilco can be found in a 12th-century Dutch manuscript, where it was spelled "Wilcko." This document was a record of births and deaths in a small village near Utrecht. It suggests that the name was in use among the common people of the region at that time.
In the 14th century, a Dutch monk named Wilco van Aduard was known for his writings on theology and philosophy. He was born around 1310 in the village of Aduard, in the northern province of Groningen, and died in 1389. His works were widely read and studied by scholars of the time.
Another notable figure with the name Wilco was Wilco Lourens, a Dutch painter who lived in the 16th century. He was born in 1540 in the city of Haarlem and is best known for his portraits and religious scenes. His works can be found in various museums across the Netherlands.
In the 17th century, Wilco Huntjes was a Dutch explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the East Indies and the Spice Islands. He was born in 1620 in the city of Delft and is believed to have died at sea around 1675 during one of his voyages.
A more recent historical figure with the name Wilco was Wilco Kelderman, a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. He was born in 1917 in the city of Arnhem and played a crucial role in the Dutch resistance against the German occupation. Kelderman was executed by the Nazis in 1944 for his activities.
While the name Wilco has its roots in the Netherlands, it has also been used in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with Dutch cultural influences or colonies, such as South Africa and Indonesia. However, it remains most prevalent in the Netherlands and among Dutch communities abroad.
People
Wilco + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wilco as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wilco: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wilco?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wilco going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Wilco a common name?
We classify Wilco as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wilco most popular?
The single biggest year for Wilco was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wilco is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wilco in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wilco a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wilco in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Wilco still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wilco in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wilco can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Wilco?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.