William

William: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “resolute protector”
Origin: Germanic
Say it: WIL-yum · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From Germanic Willahelm, combining will or desire with helmet or protection. It entered English via Norman French after the Conquest.

English names French names German names Names meaning protector Names meaning strength Classic names Royal names International names

How popular is William?

20243,186 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named William in 202410,605

2024 rank#10 boys

Peak year1880

Total US babies since 18804,205,026

William is steady now but far below its 1880 peak.

Names like William

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Liamresolute protector · Irish
Wilsonson of Will · English
Guillermoresolute protector · Germanic
Willresolute protector · Germanic
Billresolute protector · Germanic
Willisdescendant of Will · English
Henryhome ruler · Germanic
Charlesfree man · Germanic

William questions

What does the name William mean?

William means "resolute protector". It comes from Germanic. From Germanic Willahelm, combining will or desire with helmet or protection. It entered English via Norman French after the Conquest.

Is William a boy or girl name?

William is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is William?

10,605 US babies were named William in 2024. Its peak year was 1880.

How do you pronounce William?

William is usually pronounced WIL-yum.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.