Willadene
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a blend of names.
Name Census estimates that about 29 living Americans carry the first name Willadene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Willadene today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Willadene births was 1926 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Willadene. 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 Willadene is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Willadenes were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Willadene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
29
~ 1 in 11,819,115 Americans
Peak year
1926
18 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1947 SSA rank
#5,285
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Willadene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Willadene from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 88 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Willadene remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Willadene 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 Willadene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Willadenes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Willadene
The name Willadene is a combination of two distinct names, Willa and Dene. The first part, Willa, is derived from the Germanic word "wil," meaning "will" or "desire," indicating strength of character. It has been used as a feminine name for centuries, particularly in English-speaking countries.
Dene, on the other hand, is an Old English word meaning "valley" or "low ground." It was commonly used as a suffix in place names across Britain, such as Eastdene and Westdene. The combination of Willa and Dene resulted in the unique name Willadene, which could be interpreted to mean "strong-willed one from the valley."
While the exact origin of the name Willadene is uncertain, it is believed to have emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century, possibly as a creative fusion of existing names. There are no known historical references or famous individuals bearing this name prior to the 20th century.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Willadene is Willadene Rouse (1888-1968), an American educator and author from Texas. She wrote several books on teaching methods and educational philosophy, including "The Principles of Education" (1924) and "The Curriculum" (1927).
Another notable figure was Willadene Jennings (1910-1987), a Canadian author and playwright. She wrote several novels and plays, including "The Unforgotten" (1936) and "The Vertical Mosaic" (1949), which explored themes of immigration and cultural diversity in Canada.
In the realm of sports, Willadene Lyle (1925-2016) was an American professional golfer who competed on the LPGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s. She won four LPGA Tour events during her career and was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Willadene Dickson (1926-2017) was a Canadian artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings. Her works are held in the collections of several museums, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Lastly, Willadene Zeliadt (1927-2011) was an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She co-founded the Zeliadt Family Foundation, which supported various educational and charitable organizations in her home state of Indiana.
While not an exhaustive list, these examples illustrate the diversity of individuals who have borne the name Willadene throughout the 20th century, demonstrating its enduring appeal and unique blend of linguistic origins.
People
Willadene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Willadene 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
Willadene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Willadene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 29 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Willadene 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 11,819,115 US residents.
Is Willadene a common name?
We classify Willadene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 220 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Willadene most popular?
The single biggest year for Willadene was 1926, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Willadene is about 86 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 Willadene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Willadene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Willadene 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 Willadene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Willadene 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 Willadene 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 Americans are named Willadene?
See how many people have the name Willadene on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.