Wilhemena
Feminine form of Wilhelm, of Germanic origin meaning "resolute protector".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Wilhemena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wilhemena today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wilhemena births was 1922 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wilhemena. 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
- • The typical person named Wilhemena is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Wilhemenas were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wilhemena. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1922
7 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1950 SSA rank
#5,287
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Wilhemena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wilhemena from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 17 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Wilhemena remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wilhemena 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 Wilhemena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Wilhemenas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Wilhemena
The name Wilhemena is a feminine form of the Germanic name Wilhelm, which is derived from the Old German elements "wil" meaning "will or desire" and "helm" meaning "helmet or protection." It emerged during the Middle Ages in the regions of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands.
The earliest recorded use of the name Wilhemena dates back to the 12th century, when it was mentioned in historical documents from the Holy Roman Empire. It gained popularity among the nobility and aristocratic families of the time, particularly in the German-speaking lands.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Wilhemena was Wilhelmina of Prussia (1751-1820). She was a Princess of Prussia and the first wife of King William I of the Netherlands. Their marriage played a significant role in strengthening the ties between the two nations.
Another famous Wilhemena was Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (1880-1962), who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She was deeply admired for her leadership during World War II, when she rallied the Dutch resistance against German occupation.
In the 18th century, Wilhemena Stitch (1697-1783) was a renowned English painter and one of the founding members of the Society of Artists of Great Britain. She is known for her portraiture and her contributions to the development of art education for women.
The name Wilhemena also appeared in literature, such as in the character of Wilhelmina Murray in the graphic novel series "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, published in the late 20th century.
While not directly derived from religious scriptures, the name Wilhemena shares its Germanic roots with the name William, which has biblical connections to the Hebrew name "Yeho'elim," meaning "God will protect."
People
Wilhemena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wilhemena 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
Wilhemena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wilhemena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wilhemena 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Wilhemena a common name?
We classify Wilhemena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 42 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wilhemena most popular?
The single biggest year for Wilhemena was 1922, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wilhemena is about 83 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 Wilhemena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wilhemena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wilhemena in the SSA data are female. 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 Wilhemena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wilhemena 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 Wilhemena 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 many people are called Wilhemena?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.