Willie
A surname from the pet form of William, built with the familiar Scots and northern English diminutive -ie.
The #6,720 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,442 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as coming from the personal name Will, itself a short form of William, with the Scots and northern English diminutive ending -ie. In other words, it began as an affectionate or identifying nickname meaning something like “little Will” or “Will’s son/family.” Some older writers also treated related surnames such as Wylie as having this source, though they sometimes mixed it with other explanations.
History
The Harrison entry explicitly gives Willie as Will + the diminutive suffix -ie, and Bardsley points to the same nickname pattern in English and Scottish records. As with many surnames from pet forms, it likely arose independently in more than one family line. The name is especially at home in Scotland and northern England, where -ie diminutives are common in both given names and surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older Scottish records preserve a whole cluster of nickname-style names such as Willie, Geordie, and Patie, showing how everyday first names often became surnames.
From the historical record
“Willie WILLIE I = Will',', q.v. + the N.E. and Scot, dim. suff. -ie. Well agreed, Willie [var. Willye] : then sitte thee dowiie, swayne. — Spenser, Shep. Cal. (Aug.) Of all thir maidens mild as mead Was nane sae jimp [smart] as Gillie . . . Though a' her kin had sworn her dead She wad hae but sweet Willie [var.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)