Boy nameCurrently #10 in the USFalling
William
WIL-yum//ˈwɪljəm//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19477 lettersStarts with W
Meaning & origin
Resolute protection
William comes from the Germanic elements 'wil' (will, desire) and 'helm' (protection), meaning 'resolute protector'. Carried by numerous English kings since William the Conqueror, it has remained one of the most consistently popular names in the language for a thousand years.
William's popularity over time
| Year | Births named William |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 9,562 |
| 1881 | 8,554 |
| 1882 | 9,329 |
| 1883 | 8,427 |
| 1884 | 8,931 |
| 1885 | 8,077 |
| 1886 | 8,287 |
| 1887 | 7,514 |
| 1888 | 8,747 |
| 1889 | 7,818 |
| 1890 | 7,528 |
| 1891 | 6,813 |
| 1892 | 7,826 |
| 1893 | 7,255 |
| 1894 | 7,308 |
| 1895 | 7,317 |
| 1896 | 7,791 |
| 1897 | 7,230 |
| 1898 | 7,441 |
| 1899 | 6,109 |
| 1900 | 8,623 |
| 1901 | 6,022 |
| 1902 | 6,642 |
| 1903 | 6,346 |
| 1904 | 6,441 |
| 1905 | 6,523 |
| 1906 | 6,594 |
| 1907 | 6,933 |
| 1908 | 7,574 |
| 1909 | 7,948 |
| 1910 | 8,881 |
| 1911 | 10,643 |
| 1912 | 19,704 |
| 1913 | 23,632 |
| 1914 | 29,850 |
| 1915 | 38,692 |
| 1916 | 40,554 |
| 1917 | 42,587 |
| 1918 | 45,463 |
| 1919 | 44,145 |
| 1920 | 50,350 |
| 1921 | 52,051 |
| 1922 | 51,306 |
| 1923 | 52,361 |
| 1924 | 53,751 |
| 1925 | 53,598 |
| 1926 | 52,225 |
| 1927 | 51,797 |
| 1928 | 49,467 |
| 1929 | 48,151 |
| 1930 | 47,560 |
| 1931 | 43,518 |
| 1932 | 42,362 |
| 1933 | 39,242 |
| 1934 | 40,351 |
| 1935 | 40,363 |
| 1936 | 39,552 |
| 1937 | 40,888 |
| 1938 | 42,570 |
| 1939 | 42,225 |
| 1940 | 44,933 |
| 1941 | 47,937 |
| 1942 | 55,061 |
| 1943 | 56,072 |
| 1944 | 52,509 |
| 1945 | 50,360 |
| 1946 | 60,187 |
| 1947 | 67,155 |
| 1948 | 62,127 |
| 1949 | 61,635 |
| 1950 | 60,804 |
| 1951 | 62,891 |
| 1952 | 63,184 |
| 1953 | 61,961 |
| 1954 | 61,558 |
| 1955 | 60,101 |
| 1956 | 59,144 |
| 1957 | 57,018 |
| 1958 | 54,414 |
| 1959 | 51,540 |
| 1960 | 49,509 |
| 1961 | 48,239 |
| 1962 | 45,034 |
| 1963 | 44,625 |
| 1964 | 44,379 |
| 1965 | 40,268 |
| 1966 | 38,420 |
| 1967 | 37,804 |
| 1968 | 37,120 |
| 1969 | 37,807 |
| 1970 | 39,094 |
| 1971 | 35,617 |
| 1972 | 30,705 |
| 1973 | 28,178 |
| 1974 | 27,146 |
| 1975 | 25,725 |
| 1976 | 24,633 |
| 1977 | 24,944 |
| 1978 | 24,360 |
| 1979 | 24,871 |
| 1980 | 25,854 |
| 1981 | 24,972 |
| 1982 | 25,784 |
| 1983 | 25,583 |
| 1984 | 25,060 |
| 1985 | 24,791 |
| 1986 | 24,498 |
| 1987 | 24,372 |
| 1988 | 24,288 |
| 1989 | 24,768 |
| 1990 | 24,970 |
| 1991 | 23,914 |
| 1992 | 23,126 |
| 1993 | 22,261 |
| 1994 | 21,536 |
| 1995 | 20,206 |
| 1996 | 20,585 |
| 1997 | 20,046 |
| 1998 | 20,871 |
| 1999 | 20,742 |
| 2000 | 20,707 |
| 2001 | 20,134 |
| 2002 | 20,170 |
| 2003 | 20,031 |
| 2004 | 20,346 |
| 2005 | 19,088 |
| 2006 | 18,981 |
| 2007 | 18,920 |
| 2008 | 18,431 |
| 2009 | 17,950 |
| 2010 | 17,094 |
| 2011 | 17,387 |
| 2012 | 16,933 |
| 2013 | 16,679 |
| 2014 | 16,870 |
| 2015 | 15,960 |
| 2016 | 15,828 |
| 2017 | 15,060 |
| 2018 | 14,657 |
| 2019 | 13,661 |
| 2020 | 12,687 |
| 2021 | 12,187 |
| 2022 | 11,356 |
| 2023 | 10,659 |
| 2024 | 10,605 |
William through the decades
- William peaked in 1947, when 67,155 babies were named William in the US.
- The 1950s were William's strongest decade, averaging 59,262 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of William has fallen 26% compared to the 10 years before that.
- William currently ranks #10 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
WillBillLiam
Variants & spellings
GuillermoWilhelm
Famous people named William
- William Shakespeare — playwright