Williamjames
Compound name combining "William" (resolute protector) and "James" (supplanter).
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Williamjames. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Williamjames today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Williamjames births was 2015 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Williamjames. 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 Williamjames. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2015
6 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2015 SSA rank
#12,021
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Williamjames: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Williamjames from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Williamjames 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 Williamjames during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Williamjames
Williamjames is an unusual compound given name that combines the English name William and the name James. It does not have a clear single origin or linguistic root, but rather seems to be a modern invention that combines two well-established names from different sources.
The name William is derived from the Germanic name Willahelm, which is composed of the elements wil ("will" or "desire") and helm ("helmet" or "protection"). It was introduced to England by the Normans and became extremely popular after the Norman conquest in 1066, with William the Conqueror being a famous bearer. Over time, various spellings and diminutives emerged, including Will, Willie, Bill, and Billy.
James, on the other hand, is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, which means "supplanter" or "one who follows". It was brought into the English language from the Latin Iacomus, itself derived from the Greek Iakōbos. The name gained popularity due to its association with two biblical figures – one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, and James, the brother of Jesus.
While the combination Williamjames is not found in ancient texts or historical records, it appears to be a relatively modern invention, possibly arising as a double-barreled name in the 19th or 20th century. Some notable individuals who have borne this name include:
1. William James (1842-1910), an American philosopher, psychologist, and one of the founders of the philosophical movement of pragmatism.
2. William James Basie (1904-1984), an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz.
3. William James Sidis (1898-1944), an American child prodigy with exceptional mathematical and linguistic abilities, often described as one of the most intelligent individuals who ever lived.
4. William James Crook (1825-1879), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University and Surrey County Cricket Club in the mid-19th century.
5. William James Erasmus Wilson (1809-1884), an English surgeon and dermatologist, known for his contributions to the study of skin diseases and for founding the dermatological society in London.
While the name Williamjames is not as common as its individual components, it has been used throughout history as a unique combination, often honoring or commemorating individuals who bore these names separately.
People
Williamjames + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Williamjames 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
Williamjames: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Williamjames?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Williamjames 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Williamjames a common name?
We classify Williamjames as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Williamjames most popular?
The single biggest year for Williamjames was 2015, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Williamjames is about 18 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 Williamjames in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Williamjames a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Williamjames 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 Williamjames still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Williamjames 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 Williamjames 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 are named Williamjames?
Find out how many people have the name Williamjames on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.