Wilem
A masculine Dutch name derived from the Germanic name Wilhelm, meaning "resolute protector".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Wilem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wilem today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wilem births was 2005 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wilem. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wilem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2005
5 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2005 SSA rank
#13,284
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Wilem: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wilem by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wilem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Wilem
The given name Wilem has its origins in the Old German language, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic root words "wil" meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection." The name can be interpreted as "resolute protector" or "one with a strong will to protect."
The name Wilem was prevalent in regions where Germanic tribes settled, including parts of modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the 8th century, when it appeared in various historical records and chronicles.
In ancient texts, the name Wilem is mentioned in the Nibelungenlied, a Middle High German epic poem from the 13th century. The epic features a character named Willehalm, which is a variation of the name Wilem.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Wilem was Willehalm of Orange (c. 750-828), a legendary French count and hero of several medieval chansons de geste (epic poems). Another notable figure was Willem van Oranje (1533-1584), also known as William the Silent, the main leader of the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule.
In the realm of literature, Wilem Shakespeare (1564-1616), the renowned English playwright and poet, is perhaps the most famous bearer of the name. His works, including "Hamlet," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Macbeth," have had a profound impact on the English language and literature.
Another historical figure bearing the name Wilem was Willem Janszoon (c. 1570-1630), a Dutch navigator and colonial governor who led the first European expedition to land on the western coast of the Australian continent in 1606.
Wilem Einthoven (1860-1927), a Dutch physiologist and inventor, is also noteworthy for his contributions to the development of the electrocardiogram (ECG), for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1924.
People
Wilem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wilem as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wilem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wilem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wilem going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Wilem a common name?
We classify Wilem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wilem most popular?
The single biggest year for Wilem was 2005, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wilem is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wilem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wilem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wilem in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Wilem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wilem in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wilem can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Wilem?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.