Williams

Williams: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “son of William”
Origin: English
Say it: WIL-yumz · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

A surname derived from William with the patronymic ending -s. Rare as a first name, it keeps the surname meaning and origin.

English names Names meaning protector Surname-style names

How popular is Williams?

202415.9 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 Williams in 202453

2024 rank#2,524 boys

Peak year1883

Total US babies since 18806,110

Williams has been fairly stable over the last fifteen years.

Names like Williams

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

JackGod is gracious · English
Hudsonson of Hudd · English
Jacksonson of Jack · English
Cartercart driver · English
Wyattbrave in war · English
Maverickindependent person · English
Masonstoneworker · English
Graysonson of the steward · English

Williams questions

What does the name Williams mean?

Williams means "son of William". It comes from English. A surname derived from William with the patronymic ending -s. Rare as a first name, it keeps the surname meaning and origin.

Is Williams a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Williams?

53 US babies were named Williams in 2024. Its peak year was 1883.

How do you pronounce Williams?

Williams is usually pronounced WIL-yumz.

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.