Willean
A combination of the feminine name "Wilhelmina" and the masculine name "William".
Name Census estimates that about 94 living Americans carry the first name Willean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Willean today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Willean births was 1950 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Willean. 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 Willean is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Willeans were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Willean. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
94
~ 1 in 3,646,323 Americans
Peak year
1950
15 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1963 SSA rank
#7,641
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Willean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Willean from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 83 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Willean 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 Willean during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Willeans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Willean
The name Willean has its origins in the Old English language, originating in the early medieval period around the 5th to 11th centuries. It is derived from the combination of the Old English elements "wil" meaning desire or will, and "lean" meaning reward or gift. Thus, the name Willean essentially translates to "desired reward" or "coveted gift."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Willean can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of annals documenting the history of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain. The name appears in an entry from the year 757 AD, referring to a nobleman named Willean of Mercia.
In the 9th century, a monk named Willean was known for his work in transcribing and preserving ancient manuscripts at the monastery of Lindisfarne, located on the northeast coast of England. His efforts played a crucial role in preserving valuable historical and literary works from that era.
During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, a knight named Willean de Beaumont fought alongside William the Conqueror and was later rewarded with lands in Warwickshire for his loyalty and bravery. This historical figure is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Willean de Courcy was a prominent Anglo-Norman nobleman and military commander. He played a significant role in the Norman invasion of Ireland and was granted extensive lands in Ulster for his contributions.
Another historical figure bearing the name Willean was a 14th-century English poet and author, known for his work titled "The Canterbury Tales of Willean." Though little is known about his life, his literary work provides valuable insights into the language and culture of that time period.
While the name Willean was more commonly used in medieval times, it has continued to be bestowed upon individuals throughout history, albeit less frequently. Some notable bearers of the name include Willean Shakespere (1564-1616), a distant relative of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare, and Willean Wordsworth (1770-1850), an English Romantic poet celebrated for his lyrical works.
People
Willean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Willean 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
Willean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Willean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 94 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Willean 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 3,646,323 US residents.
Is Willean a common name?
We classify Willean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 259 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Willean most popular?
The single biggest year for Willean was 1950, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Willean is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Willean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Willean 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.
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.