William

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Origin and meaning of William

Gender: Historical gender:: Usage over the past 5 years:

Boys - 99% (124,690 births)

Girls - 1% (152 births)

Source: US SSA data
boy Boy
boy Boy

Origin:: Variant of the Germanic name Wilhelm
Meaning:: Desire, helmet/protection
More info:: William is an English variant of the name Wilhelm, which is derived from the name Willahelm, which is derived from the Germanic elements "wil" (will, desire) and "helm" (helmet, protection).

This name very popular among the Normans and in England after William the Conqueror became king. Through out much of the twelfth century 15% of all males were named William.

The popularity of the name William throughout history has been maintained due to William's popularity among European royalty in England, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

English poet and playwright William Shakespeare is one of the most famous bearers of this name.

Pronunciation:: WILL yem

Form of:: Wilhelm

Variants:

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Popularity:: Ranks 5th in the latest U.S. Social Security Administration list of most popular baby boy names. Show popularity chart

Categories:

William is listed in the name categories below

Popularity of William (Source: US SSA)

Rank

Overall Boys Girls

Year

Since 1880 William was chosen 4,036,312 times as a name, 15,849 times for girls and 4,020,463 times for boys

Year	Overall Rank	Girls Rank	Boys Rank	Girls Births	Boys Births
2012	10	7,384	5	17	16,726
2011	8	5,310	3	26	17,151
2010	8	6,120	5	22	16,870
2009	7	8,400	5	15	17,852
2008	11	5,253	8	28	18,337
2007	10	5,501	8	26	18,839
2006	12	7,117	10	18	18,915
2005	14	4,813	11	28	19,025
2004	11	1,742	8	111	20,213
2003	15	4,207	11	32	19,976
2002	13	3,877	11	34	20,103
2001	13	4,997	10	24	20,087
2000	14	3,518	11	38	20,643
1999	17	4,436	14	26	20,701
1998	19	3,419	14	36	20,822
1997	28	4,233	19	26	19,999
1996	24	2,957	18	41	20,533
1995	26	2,681	20	46	20,142
1994	25	2,744	19	45	21,483
1993	24	2,877	18	42	22,192
1992	27	2,237	20	60	23,060
1991	25	2,316	19	56	23,861
1990	23	2,150	16	61	24,878
1989	21	1,529	15	94	24,678
1988	22	1,002	16	164	24,103
1987	20	957	15	169	24,192
1986	20	954	15	165	24,311
1985	21	878	16	183	24,605
1984	21	933	16	158	24,867
1983	21	827	16	186	25,370
1982	20	868	15	178	25,584
1981	20	888	15	171	24,774
1980	18	767	14	215	25,636
1979	17	822	13	191	24,685
1978	16	805	13	187	24,169
1977	15	804	12	187	24,770
1976	14	738	11	200	24,438
1975	12	839	10	161	25,577
1974	12	797	10	170	26,981
1973	10	811	9	162	28,016
1972	10	729	9	193	30,519
1971	8	741	7	201	35,435
1970	8	730	7	204	38,895
1969	7	714	6	199	37,634
1968	7	708	6	190	36,959
1967	7	718	6	186	37,623
1966	7	736	6	180	38,270
1965	7	789	6	157	40,150
1964	8	840	7	154	44,234
1963	8	763	7	183	44,479
1962	8	786	7	175	44,859
1961	7	728	7	204	47,994
1960	8	815	7	164	49,352
1959	8	820	7	158	51,384
1958	7	794	6	161	54,200
1957	7	782	6	166	56,803
1956	7	794	6	157	58,927
1955	7	915	6	116	59,907
1954	7	827	6	130	61,393
1953	7	804	6	132	61,745
1952	8	730	6	149	62,993
1951	8	880	6	105	62,584
1950	8	768	6	128	60,679
1949	6	764	4	128	61,362
1948	6	667	4	158	61,923
1947	6	676	4	155	66,917
1946	5	631	4	156	59,993
1945	5	610	4	142	50,226
1944	5	629	4	136	52,329
1943	5	582	4	168	55,892
1942	5	568	4	170	54,845
1941	5	603	4	137	47,779
1940	5	568	4	150	44,759
1939	5	539	4	153	42,059
1938	5	590	4	138	42,414
1937	5	514	4	164	40,688
1936	5	523	4	154	39,372
1935	6	497	4	163	40,195
1934	5	487	4	175	40,146
1933	5	470	4	195	39,018
1932	5	429	4	235	42,094
1931	5	420	4	237	43,230
1930	5	399	4	289	47,242
1929	5	362	4	337	47,782
1928	5	368	4	349	49,088
1927	5	383	4	319	51,436
1926	5	395	4	303	51,922
1925	4	406	3	288	53,306
1924	4	444	3	247	53,505
1923	4	463	3	223	52,130
1922	4	501	3	194	51,136
1921	4	512	3	191	51,842
1920	3	476	2	205	50,164
1919	3	515	2	175	43,986
1918	3	536	2	172	45,296
1917	3	520	2	165	42,420
1916	3	576	2	136	40,417
1915	3	566	2	130	38,566
1914	3	576	2	97	29,756
1913	3	529	2	94	23,535
1912	3	554	2	78	19,625
1911	4	608	2	50	10,595
1910	5	704	3	37	8,843
1909	4	682	2	35	7,914
1908	4	562	2	45	7,527
1907	4	709	2	29	6,905
1906	4	706	2	28	6,567
1905	4	682	2	28	6,496
1904	4	709	2	25	6,416
1903	3	557	2	35	6,311
1902	3	687	2	25	6,616
1901	3	545	2	32	5,990
1900	3	514	2	44	8,580
1899	3	663	2	23	6,086
1898	3	485	2	41	7,399
1897	3	529	2	32	7,199
1896	3	439	2	44	7,747
1895	3	464	2	40	7,277
1894	3	493	2	34	7,275
1893	3	486	2	32	7,223
1892	3	405	2	44	7,782
1891	3	354	2	50	6,763
1890	3	445	2	34	7,494
1889	3	357	2	46	7,772
1888	3	371	2	42	8,704
1887	3	323	2	44	7,470
1886	3	364	2	35	8,252
1885	3	353	2	33	8,044
1884	3	340	2	34	8,897
1883	2	281	2	40	8,387
1882	2	322	2	31	9,298
1881	2	289	2	30	8,524
1880	2	287	2	30	9,533

Show all years since 1880 ▼

1880-89	3	326	2
1890-99	3	456	2
1900-09	4	630	2
1910-19	3	574	2
1920-29	4	439	3
1930-39	5	481	4
1940-49	5	615	4
1950-59	7	810	6
1960-64	8	773	7
1965-69	7	738	6
1970-74	9	753	8
1975-79	14	797	12
1980-84	20	838	15
1985-89	21	948	16
1990-94	25	2395	18
1995-99	24	3323	18
2000	14	3518	11
2001	13	4997	10
2002	13	3877	11
2003	15	4207	11
2004	11	1742	8
2005	14	4813	11
2006	12	7117	10
2007	10	5501	8
2008	11	5253	8
2009	7	8400	5
2010	8	6120	5
2011	8	5310	3
2012	10	7384	5

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Meaning of William: William is an English variant of the name Wilhelm, which is derived from the name Willahelm, which is derived from the Germanic elements "wil" (will, desire) and "helm" (helmet, protection)

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William

Origin and meaning of William

What is it like to be named William?

Popularity of William (Source: US SSA)

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