William
William: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈwɪl.i.əm/ · /ˈwɪl.jəm/
Meaning and origin of William
Root meaning: “will”
- A male given name from the Germanic languages popular since the Norman Conquest.
Etymology
From Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz (> Latin Gulielmus), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“will”) + *helmaz (“helmet”), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European roots *welh₁- (“to choose, wish, want”) and *ḱel- (“to cover, conceal, save”) respectively. Cognate with Dutch Willem, German Wilhelm, etc.; cognate borrowings outside of Germanic include Guillaume and Guillermo.
How popular is William?
Since 1880, 16,029 girls and 4,199,696 boys in the U.S. have been named William (0% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #281 in 1883. Its highest rank for boys was #2 in 1880. In 2025 it ranked #9 for boys, with 10,552 babies given the name.
Names similar to William
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
More Germanic boy names
Sibling name ideas for William
Sister and brother names that share William's Germanic roots and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
William FAQ
What does the name William mean?
William traces back to a root meaning "will". A male given name from the Germanic languages popular since the Norman Conquest. From Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz (> Latin Gulielmus), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“will”) + *helmaz (“helmet”), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European roots *welh₁- (“to choose, wish, want”) and *ḱel- (“to cover, conceal, save”) respectively. Cognate with Dutch Willem, German Wilhelm, etc.; cognate borrowings outside of Germanic include Guillaume and Guillermo.
What is the origin of the name William?
William is listed as a name of Germanic origin.
How popular is the name William?
Since 1880, 16,029 girls and 4,199,696 boys in the U.S. have been named William (0% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #281 in 1883. Its highest rank for boys was #2 in 1880. In 2025 it ranked #9 for boys, with 10,552 babies given the name.
Is William a boy or girl name?
William is mostly a boy name in the U.S.: 16,029 girls and 4,199,696 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.