The Willow name is traditionally, and nearly solely, a feminine name and is Middle English in origin and is taken from the tree of he same name. It is derived from the Middle English name for that tree, “wilve.” The meaning of Willow can be “graceful” or simple “willow tree” Willow trees are known to have a graceful appearance and be quite flexible.

The popularity of Willow has risen very quickly, starting without rank in the 1990s, reaching the 500s in 2005 and ranked 290 in 2010. Willow reached number 53 in England’s popular baby names list in 2013.

The growth of the popularity for the name Willow has affected some celebrities as well. In recent years some people that have chosen the name Willow for their daughters are Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and Pink and Carey Hart.

Other well known personalities with the name Willow are Willow Bay of MSNBC and the fictional character Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Alyson Hannigan. The name’s use on the television show is what boosted the popularity of the name after the 1990s.