Willis

Meaning: Its source is Will, an English name meaning "Determined."

Nicknames: Will, Willie and Willy

Popularity: The name Willis ranked 348th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.

Narrative: Willis is an elaboration of Will, which was a short form of the names Wilhelm (William), Willard and Wilbert, all derived from Ancient Germanic sources.

Today Will is considered a nickname of Willis, just as Rob is considered a nickname of the boy's name Robin, though it is likely that the latter developed from the former.

Leadership

Willis Carrier (born 1876, died 1950)
American inventor
- He invented air conditioning (see list of Twenty innovators who changed the 20th century)
Willis van Devanter
American jurist.
- U.S. Supreme Court justice, 1910-37 (see list of U.S. Supreme Court Justices)

Miscellaneous

Willis M. Spear
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)

Science and Philosophy

Willis M. Hawkins
- 1988 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
Willis E. Lamb (born 1913)
American physicist known for his experiments on the fine structure of the spectrum.
- 1955 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, with Polykarp Kusch (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics)

Sports

Willis Reed, Jr.
American basketball player.
- 1969-70 National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (see list of NBA Most Valuable Players)
- 1964-65 National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year (see list of NBA Rookies of the Year)
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)