Names That Mean Will

Croatian short form of Josip (Joseph) properly spelled Joško. This would make a fun alternative nickname for Joseph or even Joshua outside Croatia, too.

Quirky form of Ishmael found in Nordic countries.

Ethiopian name that would be difficult here.

Cornish form of William

Short and strong multicultural option for a son. Nev Schulman (born Yaniv) is the creator of the MTV series Catfish.

Coined by Shakespeare for the main antagonist in his comedy Twelfth Night, the unfortunate Malvolio’s name literally means "ill will".

Names with the del element, such as Adeline, Adelaide, Adele, and Della, are currently en vogue, but old-fashioned Odella didn't get the memo.

This spelling pares Will down to the bare minimum — and why not? It is also a Welsh diminutive of William / Wiliam / Gwilym.

Esmael is an uncommon name with deep cultural roots.

Itta is a cute old-fashioned name that arose parallelly as a nickname for Yehudit, used among Ashkenazi Jews, and a variation of Ita, an Irish name.

This is the name of several people in the Old Testament, including one of King David's lute players. Also spelled Yechiel or Jehiel.

Activist and Māori elder Dame Whina (pronounced FEE-nah) Cooper was born Hōhepine (Josephine), but Whina may also derive from the Māori name Āwhina, meaning "help, support".

Vilgot may seem like an ancient Germanic name, but it's only been around since the end of the 19th century. It's most famous bearer is the late Vilgot Sjöman, a famed Swedish film director and writer.

One of many Hebrew Y names kept alive in Israel and in American religious communities.

Unusual Italian name for boys that relates both to the vividly stylish Viv names such as Vivienne and Viveca, and to the Italian musician Vivaldi.

The Social Security Lists show Willodean and its variant spellings to have been used throughout the 1920s and 30s especially in Southern states. There are a few theories on its origins (an invented name created to honor William/Willard and a a female name ending in "-dine", or it may be an Anglicization of a Native American name). Either way, it has a willowy sweetness that deserves a comeback.

Croatian short form of Josip, ultimately deriving from the Hebrew Joseph.

This rare name is possibly a Romani version of William, or may derive from Old English elements meaning "wife" or "woman" and "land".

Variant of Yitzhak, the Hebrew form of Isaac.