Anyone else watching True Blood? This week’s steamiest scenes (in one of TV’s steamiest shows) were between red-hot vamp Eric Northman and his captive, Willa Burrell, the daughter of the governor who’s declared all-out war on the vampires. While the show is filled with some pretty standard names, like Bill, Pam and Jessica, Willa’s an intriguing up-and-comer. This female variant on the uberpopular William means protector, and it’s a hot one—it rose nearly 300 spaces in the past year alone.
You can see how it’s become so popular—it’s so similar to several baby names that top the charts: Ella, Mila and Willow, to name a few. But Willa has the literary cred, thanks to author Willa Cather. And two celebs, Keri Russell and Philip Seymour Hoffman both chose the name for their daughters.
Personally, I think it’s a pretty perfect name—classic enough for the traditionalists, but offbeat enough (at least for now) to please the creative namers.
I love Willa paired with other baby names that have soft consonants—Willa Snow, Willa Jane or Willa Rose all sound lovely, don’t you think?
If you’re watching True Blood, let me know if any of the other names on the show might make your short list—and if you’re digging this season thus far.