How to say it
WIL · la
/ˈwɪl.ə/
Feminine
Willa
Resolute protector
What it means
A feminine of William, from the Germanic wil ('will, desire') plus helm ('helmet, protection').
Willa is a feminine form of William, carrying its 'resolute protector' meaning from wil, 'will,' and helm, 'protection.' It also serves as a short for Wilhelmina. The novelist Willa Cather, who chronicled the American prairie in My Ántonia, gave it literary weight, and it is back now with the vintage revival beside Hazel and Cora. Will is the short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #274 in 1932, currently #422 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
A feminine of William; also a short for Wilhelmina.
- Pop culture
Novelist Willa Cather.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Willa Cather Pulitzer-winning American novelist (My Ántonia)
Spelling variants
- Willa
- Willabelle
- Wilhelmina
Names with the same feeling
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