Willis

“Son of Will” — English origin

Boy's name · #2539 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Willis has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #86 (1880) · 52,336 babies named Willis all-time · 1 in 33,000 boys born in 2025.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 1 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Willises

Willis Eugene Lamb — American physicist (1913–2008)
Willis Carrier — American inventor (1876–1950)
Willis Reed — American basketball player (1942–2023)
Willis H. O'Brien — American animator (1886–1962)
Willis Augustus Lee — admiral (1888-1945)

What Willises become

Among 312 notable people named Willis:

Lawyers & judges appear 1.9× more often than among typical names — e.g. Willis Van Devanter, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1859-1941).

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.