Willow

Derived from the Old English welig, denoting the willow tree known for its slender branches and damp habitats. The word existed as an occasional botanical surname long before parents adopted it as a given name. American records registered a handful of instances starting in the late nineteenth century, but the name remained rare until the late nineteen-nineties.

The name reads as entirely contemporary, belonging almost exclusively to school-aged children and adolescents. It suggests linen rompers, wooden toys, and a household that owns a pour-over kettle. A Willow is rarely pictured holding a landline phone or filing a paper tax return. Statistically, she is most likely working on fifth-grade fractions.