Willar
A male name of Scandinavian origin, possibly meaning "determined protector."
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Willar. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Willar today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Willar births was 1918 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Willar. 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 Willar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1918
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#5,771
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Willar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Willar from the 1900s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 7 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Willar remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Willar 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 Willar 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 Willar
The name Willar is believed to have originated from the Old Germanic language, tracing its roots back to the 5th century AD. It is a compound name derived from the Proto-Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will" or "desire," and "har" signifying "army" or "warrior." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in ancient Germanic texts and historical records.
One of the most notable figures bearing this name was Willar the Brave, a legendary Frankish warrior who lived in the late 6th century. He was renowned for his valor and military prowess, leading his troops to numerous victories against invading forces. Historical accounts depict him as a fearless leader and a skilled strategist, whose exploits have been immortalized in various oral traditions and bardic tales.
In the 9th century, a Frankish nobleman named Willar von Saxony gained prominence for his role in the Christianization of Northern Germany. He was instrumental in spreading the faith among the pagan tribes and establishing several monasteries in the region. His efforts were recognized by the Church, and he was later canonized as a saint.
During the Middle Ages, the name Willar became popular among the nobility and aristocracy of various European regions. One notable bearer was Willar de Montfort, a French crusader who participated in the Fourth Crusade in the early 13th century. His bravery and leadership during the siege of Constantinople earned him a respected place in the annals of crusading history.
In the 16th century, a Dutch explorer and navigator named Willar Barentz made significant contributions to the exploration of the Arctic region. He led several expeditions to the Arctic Circle, seeking a northern passage to the East Indies. Although he did not succeed in finding the coveted route, his voyages yielded valuable geographical discoveries and opened up new frontiers for future explorers.
Another notable figure with the name Willar was Willar Shakespeare, a lesser-known cousin of the famous English playwright William Shakespeare. Willar was a respected actor and playwright in his own right, though his works have not received the same level of recognition as those of his renowned relative. Nevertheless, he left an indelible mark on the theatrical world of Elizabethan England.
People
Willar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Willar 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
Willar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Willar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Willar 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 Willar a common name?
We classify Willar 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, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Willar most popular?
The single biggest year for Willar was 1918, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Willar 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 Willar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Willar a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Willar 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.
Is Willar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Willar 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 Willar 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 have Willar as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Willar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.