Willa is the feminine form of William — from the Germanic wil (will, desire) and helm (helmet, protection), meaning "resolute protector" or "strong-willed protector."
Willa Cather (1873-1947), one of the great American novelists (My Ántonia, O Pioneers!, Death Comes for the Archbishop), gave the name its modern literary resonance. Today Willa is rising fast in the U.S. and sits in the top 400.
Willa reduces to five — the number of free protective spirit.