Wilna
Feminine
Wilna is a short, soft name that may be a clipped Wilhelmina, and it is also the old German and Yiddish name of a great city: Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, once called the Jerusalem of Lithuania.
How old is the name Wilna?
Wilna first appears in US birth records in 1896 — 129 years ago. The typical Wilna alive today was born around 1922, making them about 103 years old. Fewer than a hundred people named Wilna are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
When was the name Wilna most popular?
Wilna peaked in 1914, reaching #1303 nationally. See the whole 1914 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Wilna
For centuries Vilnius was called Wilna in German and Vilne in Yiddish, and it was one of the great centers of Jewish learning in Europe, so rich in scholars and books that it was known as the Jerusalem of Lithuania. Families who left for America carried the city's name in their memories. An American Wilna may have come from Wilhelmina instead, softened to two syllables. Either way, it is a short name with a long road behind it.
Meaningnot established
Not established
No source records the origin of Wilna as an American girl's name. It may be a short form of Wilhelmina, and it matches the German and Yiddish name for Vilnius; the record does not say which, if either, a family meant.
Pronouncing Wilna
WIL-nuh
Two syllables, stressed on the first.
Nicknames for Wilna
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1896
- Most girls named
- 191830 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1303reached in 1914
- Change vs 1957
- 0.0%5 in 1959, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Wilnas among us
Fewer than a hundred people named Wilna are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Wilna sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is almost certainly unique among the people she will meet.
- It is short and easy to say.
- People will hear Wilma or Velma and spell it that way.
- There is no recorded meaning to give when someone asks.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Wilna to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Wilna? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Wilna
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Wilnas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. Fewer than a hundred people named Wilna are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
- How popular is the name Wilna in 2025?
- Wilna is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Wilna with classmates?
- Wilna will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More W names
The most-given names starting with W, all years combined.
Wanda#5917 · Wendy#1341 · Willie#10107 · Wilma#3645 · Whitney#1043 · Willow#44 · Winifred#922 · Willa#422
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Wilna? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Wilna and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle