Willem

Did you know?

A few things about Willem you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Willem

Willem Frederik Hermans

Dutch writer (1921–1995)

Choose Willem and your child shares a first name with Willem Frederik Hermans, a Dutch writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Willem, like who?” Willem Frederik Hermans's Wikipedia article is available in 34 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Willem Frederik Hermans on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Roland Gerrits / Anefo, CC0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 33,445 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Willem, 51 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Willem would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryWillem first shows up in US birth records in 1916, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 109 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2003, when it reached #1,205.
• 🍂TrendWillem has slipped 308 places over the last five years and now sits at #2,572. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningWillem is a Dutch form of William, which means “resolute protector”.

About the name Willem

Willem is a boy name meaning “resolute protector”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with W and ending in “-lem”. US birth records list Willem for boys from 1916 to 2025, in 74 of those 110 years. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked #1,205 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,572, with 51 babies.