Wiliam
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "resolute protector".
Name Census estimates that about 952 living Americans carry the first name Wiliam. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wiliam today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wiliam births was 1982 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wiliam. 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.
People living today
952
~ 1 in 360,036 Americans
Peak year
1982
28 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,787
Tracked since 1881
Popularity
Wiliam: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wiliam from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 198 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wiliam 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 Wiliam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Wiliams live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Wiliam, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Wiliam
The name Wiliam originated from the Germanic language group, derived from the words "wil" meaning "will or desire" and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection." It is a combination of these two root words, forming the meaning "resolute protector" or "strong-willed guardian." This name has its roots dating back to the early Middle Ages, around the 9th to 11th centuries.
Wiliam was a popular name among the nobility and ruling classes in various Germanic regions, including parts of modern-day Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. It gained widespread popularity across Europe during the medieval period, particularly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, when it was brought to the British Isles by Norman nobles and knights.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wiliam can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript recording landowners in England in 1086. This document mentions several individuals with the name Wiliam, indicating its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
Throughout history, the name Wiliam has been borne by numerous notable figures. One of the most famous was William the Conqueror (c. 1028-1087), the Norman king who conquered England in 1066 and became the first monarch of the House of Normandy. Another notable figure was William Wallace (c. 1270-1305), the Scottish knight and patriot who led the resistance against English rule during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
In the realm of literature, William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the renowned English playwright and poet, is perhaps the most well-known bearer of the name. His works, including plays like Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, have had a lasting impact on the English language and world literature.
Other notable individuals with the name Wiliam include William the Silent (1533-1584), the Prince of Orange and a leader of the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule, and William Wilberforce (1759-1833), the English politician and philanthropist who led the movement to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire.
Variations and spellings of the name Wiliam have emerged over time, such as Wilhelm, Guillaume, and Guillermo, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences in different regions. However, the core meaning and historical significance of the name have remained consistent, reflecting the ideals of strength, determination, and protection.
People
Wiliam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wiliam 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
Wiliam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wiliam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 952 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wiliam 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 360,036 US residents.
Is Wiliam a common name?
We classify Wiliam as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,243 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wiliam most popular?
The single biggest year for Wiliam was 1982, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wiliam is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Wiliam a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wiliam 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.
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.