Indigo vs Willow
Indigo and Willowcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Indigo was ranked #503 and Willow #21 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Indigo was ranked #718 and Willow #58 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Indigo was ranked #2088 and Willow #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Indigo and Willow over time
Indigo and Willow appear together in 2 published lists, across 42 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Indigo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Willow in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Indigo #438 in 2021, Willow #9 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Indigo held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Willow in 29.
Highest recorded here: Indigo #438 in 2021, Willow #9 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Indigo #503, Willow #21.
England and Wales · Boys13 shared years, 2005–2024
Indigo held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Willow in 0.
Highest recorded here: Indigo #1391 in 2021, Willow #2325 in 2023.
The order changed in 2008: Indigo moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #2870 and #2870; by 2008 that had become #1706 and #4432.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Indigo #2088, Willow #4270.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Indigo | Willow |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English, a modern nature name from the willow tree |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɪl.oʊ/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Willow has a recorded origin (English, a modern nature name from the willow tree); Indigo does not have one recorded yet.
- Indigo has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Willow.
- A meaning is recorded for Willow; Indigo doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Indigo
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2096 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #438 among girls in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Willow
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #891 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls