It pairs 'will,' meaning desire or resolve, with 'helmet,' the protective core that also sits inside William. As a name it reads as a surname-style form of that older William family. The meaning carries an idea of determined protection.

Real bearers stretch from sport to science: Willis Reed was a Hall of Fame New York Knicks basketball player, and Willis Lamb was an American physicist who won the 1955 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Did you know? Willis likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Willis — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

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Famous Bearers

★Willis Reed (1942–2023)
American Hall of Fame New York Knicks basketball player.
★Willis Lamb (1913–2008)
American physicist, 1955 Nobel Prize in Physics.

If you like Willis…

William— shares the same 'will' plus 'helmet' roots that give Willis its meaning.

Will— the short form built on the resolve element at the heart of Willis.

Wilson— another William-family surname-name, close to Willis in sound and origin.

Elvis— a fellow English choice

Harris— a fellow English choice

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Willis mean?

Willis is usually explained as meaning 'will helmet' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Willis?

It's commonly said WIHL-ihs /ˈwɪl.ɪs/.

Is Willis a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Willis is used as a boy name.

How popular is Willis?

In 2024, Willis ranked #2701 in the U.S. for boys, with 49 births recorded.