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Willow

Say it: WIL-oh

GirlMeans willow tree6 letters2 syllables

#58

in Ireland (2025)

85

babies in 2025

#31

best rank (2021)

1,450

babies since 2003

Up 63

10-year rank change

Willow through the years

Compare with another name →
Willow: babies per year in Ireland, 1964 to 2025050100150200196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series changePeak 2021: 166
Willow: rank per year in Ireland, 1964 to 2025#1#10#50#100#250#500#1000196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series change
Willow: per 10,000 girls per year in Ireland, 1964 to 2025020406080196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series change
Babies per 10,000 girls listed by the CSO that year, which evens out changes in the number of births.
Show the numbers
YearBabies (girls)Rank
202585#58
2024106#49
2023110#50
2022145#37
2021166#31
2020126#44
2019130#43
2018116#50
201780#77
201690#72
201552#121
201461#103
201340#148
201240#142
201123#234
201014#356
200920#254
200813#364
200711#375
20065#551
20053#690
20048#370
20036#439

Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.

★ What does Willow mean?

Willow tree

English, from the name of the willow tree.

Say it right

WILoh

The story of Willow

Willow is simply the name of the tree, the waterside tree known for its long, trailing branches. It belongs to the modern fashion for names taken from the natural world, alongside Hazel, Ivy and Rowan, and it has grown in popularity across the English-speaking world since about 2000.

In Ireland it reached the CSO list in 2003, given to six girls. It rose through the 2010s and peaked in 2021 with 166 babies. That year it was number 31 on our combined count, and 29th on the CSO’s own list. It reached 24th in Northern Ireland the same year, its best position there.

Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Sources
  • Wiktionary: Willow (English proper noun)
  • Wikipedia: Willow (given name)
  • CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
  • NISRA, Baby names in Northern Ireland

At a glance

Similar names

HazelIvyRowanIris

Sibling ideas

FinnOscarRory

Spellings counted here

Spelling2025All years
Willow851,450

In Northern Ireland

#68 in 2025 with 30 babies. Best rank #24 (2021); 655 babies since 2007.

Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.

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