William
WIL-yum /ˈwɪl.jəm/
Meaning of William
William comes from the Old German Willahelm: willa ('will, desire, determination') + helm ('helmet, protection'). The full compound means 'resolute protector' or 'determined defender.' William the Conqueror brought the name to England in 1066, after which it became by far the most common men's name in England for several centuries. It has been in the English top-5 for boys almost continuously since 1066.
Current popularity of William
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #8 |
| United Kingdom (ONS) | 2024 | #10 |
Cultural notes
Liam is the Irish short form of William — making Liam and William etymological twins currently sitting at US #1 and #8 simultaneously.
Notable bearers of William
William the Conqueror; William Shakespeare; William Wordsworth; Prince William, Prince of Wales.
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with William — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31