What does the name William mean?

William means resolute protector. From elements 'wil' (will) and 'helm' (helmet).

Where does the name William come from?

William is a boy name of Germanic origin.

Is William a boy or a girl name?

William is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name William are girls and 100% are boys.

How popular is the name William in 2023?

William ranks #15081 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1947 with 67,156 babies.

How do you pronounce William?

William is pronounced WIL-yum (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of William?

William is also written as Wilhelm, Guillaume, Liam, Will.

A name from Germanic · Boy

William

Resolute protector. From elements 'wil' (will) and 'helm' (helmet).

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

4,178,504 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

10,679 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

WResolute protector. From elements 'wil' (will) and 'helm' (helmet).

Variants & spellings

4 ways to spell "William".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Wilhelm Most common Guillaume Liam Will

Famous bearers

People who carry the name William.

W
William Shakespeare
W
Prince William

Quick answers

People often ask about William.

What does the name William mean?: William means resolute protector. From elements 'wil' (will) and 'helm' (helmet).
Where does the name William come from?: William is a boy name of Germanic origin.
Is William a boy or a girl name?: William is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name William are girls and 100% are boys.
How popular is the name William in 2023?: William ranks #15081 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1947 with 67,156 babies.
How do you pronounce William?: William is pronounced WIL-yum (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of William?: William is also written as Wilhelm, Guillaume, Liam, Will.

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Walter

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.