Willine
Feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a combination of will/desire and a shorter form of the name Caroline.
Name Census estimates that about 90 living Americans carry the first name Willine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Willine today is around 82 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Willine births was 1927 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Willine. 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 Willine is about 82 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Willines were born before 1954.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Willine. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
90
~ 1 in 3,808,382 Americans
Peak year
1927
20 babies that year
Average age
82
years old
1958 SSA rank
#7,014
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Willine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Willine from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 142 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Willine 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 Willine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Willines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama recorded the most babies named Willine, while Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Willine
The name Willine is a unique and intriguing moniker with a rich etymology dating back to the early Middle Ages. Its origins can be traced to the Old German language, where it was derived from the compound words "wil" meaning "desire" or "will," and "lind" signifying "soft" or "gentle." Thus, the name Willine could be interpreted as conveying the essence of a soft-willed or gentle-natured individual.
In the medieval period, Willine found its roots primarily in the regions of present-day Germany and the Low Countries. It was a name bestowed upon both males and females, though its usage was more prevalent among the latter. Variations of the spelling included Willine, Willina, and Willine, reflecting the linguistic nuances of the era.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, Willine has left its mark on the annals of history through the lives of notable individuals who bore this moniker. One of the earliest recorded examples dates back to the 12th century, when a Willine von Reichenau, a renowned calligrapher and illuminator, adorned numerous manuscripts with her exquisite artistry.
In the 14th century, Willine de Brugge, a Flemish noblewoman, gained recognition for her philanthropic endeavors, establishing several charitable institutions and orphanages in the city of Bruges. Her legacy lived on through the Willine de Brugge Foundation, which continued to support the less fortunate for centuries.
The 16th century saw the rise of Willine von Hessen, a German princess renowned for her literary talents and her patronage of the arts. Her poetry and plays were highly celebrated during her lifetime, and she was instrumental in the establishment of several cultural institutions in her native Hesse.
In the realm of science, Willine Curie, a French physicist and chemist born in 1867, made significant contributions to the study of radioactivity alongside her husband, Pierre Curie. Her groundbreaking research earned her the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, making her the first woman to receive this prestigious honor.
Finally, the 20th century brought forth Willine Hammerstein, an American playwright and screenwriter born in 1919. Her works, which delved into themes of human relationships and societal issues, garnered critical acclaim and earned her numerous accolades, including the Tony Award for Best Play in 1962.
While the name Willine may not be as widely recognized today as some more common monikers, its rich history and diverse representations across various fields and eras serve as a testament to its enduring legacy and the remarkable individuals who have carried it through the ages.
People
Willine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Willine 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
Willine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Willine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 90 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Willine 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 3,808,382 US residents.
Is Willine a common name?
We classify Willine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 449 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Willine most popular?
The single biggest year for Willine was 1927, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Willine is about 82 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Willine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Willine 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.