The name Willona first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1974:
- 1980: unlisted
- 1979: 12 baby girls named Willona
- 1978: 12 baby girls named Willona
- 1977: 14 baby girls named Willona
- 10 more with the name Wilona (a one-hit wonder)
- 1976: 13 baby girls named Willona
- 1975: 16 baby girls named Willona
- 1974: 15 baby girls named Willona [debut]
- 1973: unlisted
- 1972: unlisted
Why?
Because of the sitcom Good Times (1974-1979), which introduced TV audiences to feisty, fashionable Willona Woods (played by Ja’net Dubois).
The show was set in a housing project in Chicago, and the main focus was the Evans family: father James, mother Florida, and their three children (J.J., Thelma and Michael).
Scene-stealing Willona was the divorcée who lived across the hall and regularly popped in for visits [vid].
In a later season, Willona adopted an abused child named Penny (played by future superstar Janet Jackson).
The name Willona remained in the SSA data through the show’s six-season run.
What do you think of the name Willona?
Sources: Good Times – Wikipedia, SSA
Image: Screenshot of Good Times