Meaning of the nameWilly

Willy is a male name of Germanic origin, a diminutive of William (Wilhelm), a name formed from elements meaning “will” and “helmet, protection”.

Meaning

“diminutive of William (Wilhelm), from Germanic elements meaning “will” and “helmet, protection””

Source: Behind the Name: Willy · Behind the Name: William

More names that mean protection

People (2022): 3,794
Rank in Brazil: #3,313
Median age: 27 years
2010 Census: 3,223; people

Willy in the 2022 Census

People with the first name Willy, by the decade they were born. In the chart, 70 = the 1970s and 20+ = 2020 to 2022. The largest group was born in the 1990s (1,032 people).

143 women 3,651 men

Source: IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census, Nomes no Brasil. The census counts the first name of people alive in 2022; small counts are not published, and the first group covers everyone born before 1940. How to read these data.

Where the name Willy is most common

States with the highest share of people named Willy in the population, in the 2022 Census.

Santa Catarina 0.003%
São Paulo 0.002%
Bahia 0.002%
Paraná 0.002%
Pará 0.002%

All states

State	People	% of population
São Paulo	994	0.002%
Minas Gerais	365	0.002%
Bahia	266	0.002%
Paraná	216	0.002%
Rio de Janeiro	212	0.001%
Santa Catarina	204	0.003%
Rio Grande do Sul	164	0.002%
Pará	154	0.002%
Pernambuco	143	0.002%
Goiás	133	0.002%
Alagoas	86	0.003%
Amazonas	85	0.002%
Mato Grosso	81	0.002%
Distrito Federal	81	0.003%
Ceará	76	0.001%
Maranhão	74	0.001%
Paraíba	61	0.002%
Espírito Santo	61	0.002%
Sergipe	59	0.003%
Rio Grande do Norte	52	0.002%
Mato Grosso do Sul	52	0.002%
Piauí	44	0.001%
Acre	32	0.004%
Rondônia	29	0.002%
Tocantins	26	0.002%
Amapá	22	0.003%
Roraima	22	0.004%

States with fewer than 15 people with the name are not shown: IBGE does not publish those counts.

About the name Willy

Wiktionary records Willy as a diminutive of William in English and of Wilhelm in German, and Behind the Name describes it as a diminutive of William, Wilhelm or Willem. William comes from the Germanic Willehelm, from willo (“will, desire”) and helm (“helmet, protection”). Willi is the variant that Wiktionary gives as a German form of Willy, also a diminutive of Wilhelm. In the 2022 Census, IBGE recorded 3,794 people named Willy, with a median age of 27.

The most recorded spelling in the group, with a final Y. Proportionally, it is most common in Santa Catarina.

Other spellings of Willy

Spelling	People (2022)
Willy	3,794
Willi	1,167

Sources

Wiktionary: Willy · en.wiktionary.org · origin
Behind the Name: Willy · behindthename.com · meaning
Behind the Name: William · behindthename.com · meaning
Wiktionary: Willi · en.wiktionary.org · origin
Behind the Name: Willi · behindthename.com · origin

Questions about the name Willy

What does the name Willy mean?

Willy means “diminutive of William (Wilhelm), from Germanic elements meaning “will” and “helmet, protection””, according to Behind the Name.

How many people are named Willy in Brazil?

IBGE's 2022 Census recorded 3,794 people with the first name Willy, which ranks it number 3,313 among the country's names. The largest group was born in the 1990s.

Is Willy a boy's or a girl's name?

Willy is a male name: in the 2022 Census, 143 women and 3,651 men had this name.

What is the origin of the name Willy?

Willy is a name of Germanic origin. The sources are listed at the end of the page.

In which Brazilian state is Willy most common?

Proportionally, in Santa Catarina: 0.003% of the state's population is named Willy (204 people), according to the 2022 Census.

What are the other spellings of Willy?

Willi. IBGE counts each spelling separately.

Names that also mean protection

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More names of Germanic origin

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Spotted a mistake? Report a correction for Willy with a source. See the methodology.