Wyllys
An English masculine name from a surname of Anglo-French origin meaning "willful" or "resolute".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Wyllys. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wyllys today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wyllys births was 1915 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wyllys. 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 Wyllys. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1915
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1920 SSA rank
#4,981
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Wyllys: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wyllys from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wyllys 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 Wyllys 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 Wyllys
The name Wyllys is of English origin, derived from the Old English name Willelm, which itself is a Germanic form of the French name Guillaume. The name Willelm is composed of two elements: "wil" meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection." It was introduced to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wyllys can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Willelmus." This comprehensive survey of land ownership in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insight into the prevalence of the name during the Norman period.
In the 13th century, the name Wyllys appeared in several English literary works, such as the Anglo-Norman romance "Havelok the Dane" and the Middle English poem "Sir Orfeo." These references suggest that the name was well-established among the English aristocracy and literary circles of the time.
Wyllys Combe (c. 1330-1400) was an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Richard II. He is notable for his involvement in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and for his efforts to promote the rights of commoners.
Wyllys Barne (c. 1450-1520) was an English merchant and politician from Bristol. He served as Mayor of Bristol in 1499 and 1505, and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance during the Tudor period.
Wyllys Phillipps (1590-1653) was an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Pembrokeshire during the reign of Charles I. He was a staunch Royalist and fought for the King's cause during the English Civil War.
Wyllys Harte (1670-1737) was an English clergyman and author. He served as the Archdeacon of Buckingham and published several religious works, including "An Essay on Reason" and "The Christian's Consolation."
Wyllys Jones (1745-1815) was an American politician and lawyer from Georgia. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was a strong advocate for American independence during the Revolutionary War. He also played a key role in the drafting of the Georgia Constitution.
It is important to note that while the name Wyllys has a rich historical background, its usage has declined significantly in modern times. As with many traditional English names, its popularity has waned in favor of more contemporary and diverse naming trends.
People
Wyllys + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wyllys 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
Wyllys: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wyllys?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wyllys 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 - US residents.
Is Wyllys a common name?
We classify Wyllys as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wyllys most popular?
The single biggest year for Wyllys was 1915, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wyllys is about 0 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 Wyllys in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wyllys a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wyllys in the SSA data are male. 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 Wyllys still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wyllys 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 Wyllys 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 share the name Wyllys?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.