Williem
A Germanic masculine name meaning "resolute protection" or "determined protector".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Williem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Williem today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Williem births was 1921 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Williem. 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 Williem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1921
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1921 SSA rank
#4,964
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Williem: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Williem 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 Williem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Williem
The name Williem has its origins in the Germanic languages and is a variant spelling of the name William. It is derived from the Old German words "wil" meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection." The name essentially translates to "resolute protector" or "strong-willed warrior."
The earliest recorded use of the name Williem dates back to the 8th century, when it appeared in various Germanic chronicles and manuscripts. As the name evolved, it spread across Europe and became particularly popular in the Netherlands, where the spelling "Williem" was favored over the more common "William."
One of the earliest and most notable historical figures to bear the name Williem was Williem of Gellone, a celebrated 8th-century French nobleman and warrior. He was a cousin of Charlemagne and played a crucial role in the Carolingian dynasty's conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
In the 12th century, Williem of Normandy, also known as William the Conqueror, was one of the most influential figures in European history. He was the first Norman king of England and is renowned for his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, which marked the Norman conquest of England.
During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, several prominent figures bore the name Williem, including Williem Blaeu, a renowned cartographer and publisher, and Williem Barents, a Dutch explorer and navigator who made significant contributions to Arctic exploration.
Another notable Williem was Williem III of Orange, also known as William III of England, who reigned as King of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 to 1702. He played a crucial role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which established constitutional monarchy in Britain.
In the 19th century, Williem Roentgen, a German physicist, made a groundbreaking discovery in 1895 when he inadvertently produced and detected X-rays. His work laid the foundation for modern radiography and earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Williem, a name that has endured across centuries and cultures, reflecting its rich heritage and the strength and resolve associated with its meaning.
People
Williem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Williem 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
Williem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Williem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Williem 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 - US residents.
Is Williem a common name?
We classify Williem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% 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 Williem most popular?
The single biggest year for Williem was 1921, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Williem is about 0 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 Williem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Williem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Williem 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 Williem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Williem 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 Williem 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 called Williem?
Find out how many people have the name Williem on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.