Willoh
A modernized variant of the name Willow, of English origin meaning "graceful willow tree".
Name Census estimates that about 80 living Americans carry the first name Willoh. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Willoh today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Willoh births was 2014 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Willoh. 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 Willoh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
80
~ 1 in 4,284,429 Americans
Peak year
2014
11 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,345
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Willoh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Willoh from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 49 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Willoh remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Willoh 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 Willoh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Willoh
The name Willoh finds its origins in the Old English language, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be a variant of the name William, which itself derives from the Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection." The name Willoh likely emerged as a diminutive or pet form of William, possibly influenced by the Old English word "willow," referring to the willow tree.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Willoh can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as "Wilou," suggesting its use among the Anglo-Saxon population at the time.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Willoh remained relatively rare, though it occasionally surfaced in historical records and literary works. One notable figure bearing this name was Willoh de Montfort (c. 1245-1292), a minor nobleman and military commander who fought alongside Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons' War in England.
As the centuries progressed, the name Willoh continued to be used, albeit infrequently. In the 16th century, the English poet and playwright Willoh Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived and worked, though it is worth noting that his given name was more commonly spelled as "William."
During the 17th century, the name gained some prominence with Willoh Penn (1644-1718), the English Quaker leader and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania. His legacy as a champion of religious freedom and his role in establishing one of the original American colonies have cemented his place in history.
Another notable figure bearing the name Willoh was the British botanist and explorer Willoh Hooker (1785-1865), best known for his extensive work on the flora of the British Empire and his efforts in establishing the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
While not as widespread as its counterpart William, the name Willoh has maintained a presence throughout history, appearing in various contexts and carried by individuals who have made their mark in fields ranging from literature and politics to science and exploration.
People
Willoh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Willoh 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
Willoh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Willoh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 80 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Willoh 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 4,284,429 US residents.
Is Willoh a common name?
We classify Willoh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 81 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Willoh most popular?
The single biggest year for Willoh was 2014, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Willoh is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Willoh a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Willoh 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.