Willow vs Zed

Willow and Zedcompared 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 · Boys
In 2024, Willow was ranked #4270 and Zed #5119 among boys in England and Wales.

Willow and Zed over time

Willow and Zed appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Willow held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Zed in 0.

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.

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.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 2005–2024
Willow held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Zed in 3.
Highest recorded here: Willow #2325 in 2023, Zed #2546 in 2023.
The order changed in 2022: Willow moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #3990 and #3451; by 2022 that had become #4001 and #4789.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Willow #4270, Zed #5119.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Willow

Pairs where Willow shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Willow vs Evelyn
Willow and Evelyn both rose over the same years in 5 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Willow · Evelyn · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Willow vs Aurora
Willow and Aurora both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Willow · Aurora · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Charlotte vs Willow
Charlotte and Willow both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Charlotte · Willow · 23 shared years, 2003–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Freya vs Willow
Freya and Willow both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Freya · Willow · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Willow, Zed
Field	Willow	Zed
Record type	Editorially researched profile	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	female	male
Meaning	From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name.	Not yet recorded
Origin	English, a modern nature name from the willow tree	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	/ˈwɪl.oʊ/	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ	GB-ENW
Most recent popularity observation	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025)	England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	40/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Willow has a recorded origin (English, a modern nature name from the willow tree); Zed does not have one recorded yet.
Willow has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Zed.
A meaning is recorded for Willow; Zed doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.

How each name got here

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

Zed

Popularity journey

First recorded2000
First recorded at #3036 among boys in England and Wales in 2000 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2024
Highest recorded position: #2546 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 2000–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys