I have certainly noticed prejudice against Willies from many parts of the world.

from Scotland - 'Up and waur them a', Willie.' as sung by the Battlefield band. That's the one where they throw sour milk on the enemy.

Pretty Polly. 'A debt to the Devil Willie must pay, for killing Pretty Polly and running away.' Sometimes it seems to me that somebody must have written a manual on how to write a murder ballad. Step 1 was read up on a murder. Step 2 was change the villain's name to Willie.

'Railroad Bill, he never had a wife. Ain't no woman wants a railroad life.' Also doesn't want to be married to a bum. Turns out Railroad Bill's real name was Morris. How did they get Bill out of Morris?

'It was Willie, our darling Willie, what got drownded in the deep blue sea.' (What a wimp.)

'Tell old Bill when he leaves home to leave those downtown women alone.' (The fool!)

I believe that Johnny and Willie between them cover most of the men in folk songs. Johnny rhymes with 'bonny,' but Willie doesn't rhyme with anything, so that leaves Willies open to anything.

One exception - the Scottish ballad 'Willie's Lady,' in which Willie saves his bride from an evil spell. The world needs more like him.