William
Meaningresolute protector · Germanic
- US rank
- #9
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #2 in 1920
10,545 babies were named William in the US in 2025. It has dropped 4 places in five years.
Nicknames & spellings
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about William you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous William
William Shakespeare
English playwright and poet (1564–1616)
Choose William and your child shares a first name with William Shakespeare, an English playwright and poet. A ready-made answer when someone asks “William, like who?” William Shakespeare's Wikipedia article is available in 336 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about William Shakespeare on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Attributed to John Taylor, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 162 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named William, 10,545 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, you'd expect to meet about 2 Williams.
- HistoryWilliam has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Williams, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1920, when it ranked #2. Today it's #9, so it could be due a comeback.
- Where it's lovedWilliam is the #2 boy name in 2 states, including Alabama, Mississippi and Mississippi. It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Germanic, William means “resolute protector”.
- OriginWilliam is the #4 most popular English boy name in the US. That's out of 7,815 English boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name William
William is a boy name of English origin meaning “resolute protector”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with W and ending in “-iam”. US birth records list William for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1920, when it ranked #2 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #9, with 10,545 babies.
Origin:English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 77,566 | 13 boys |
| 1890s | 63,348 | 16 boys |
| 1900s | 51,269 | 20 boys |
| 1910s | 45,567 | 22 boys |
| 1920s | 46,498 | 22 boys |
| 1930s | 39,438 | 25 boys |
| 1940s | 37,577 | 27 boys |
| 1950s | 29,415 | 34 boys |
| 1960s | 21,838 | 46 boys |
| 1970s | 17,096 | 58 boys |
| 1980s | 13,472 | 74 boys |
| 1990s | 11,168 | 90 boys |
| 2000s | 9,751 | 103 boys |
| 2010s | 8,500 | 118 boys |
| 2020s | 6,566 | 152 boys |
Other spellings of William
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
- Unisex name: Cooper · barrel maker
Questions about the name William
What does the name William mean?
William means “resolute protector” in Germanic.
What is the origin of the name William?
William has English roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is William a boy or girl name?
William is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name William?
William ranked #9 for US boys in 2025, given to 10,545 babies. Its best year was 1920 (#2).