William as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of William

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The baby name William is a Boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced WIL-yəm.

William is English, Medieval Latin, Old Norman, Proto-Germanic in Origin.

Gender: Boy

Syllables: 2

Origin: English, Medieval Latin, Old Norman, Proto-Germanic

Pronunciation: WIL-yəm

What is the meaning of the name William ?

The baby name William is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced WIL-yəm.

William is English, Medieval Latin, Old Norman, Proto-Germanic in Origin.

William is the English form of Old Norman Williame, from Medieval Latin Willelmus and ultimately Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz. The compound joins *wiljô, will, wish, desire, to *helmaz, helmet; in Germanic naming, the second element also carried the sense of protection. Its literal force is therefore will-helmet or resolute protection, preserved more transparently in German Wilhelm.

The name entered England with the Normans and spread rapidly after William I’s conquest in 1066, displacing any native cognate that regular sound change might have produced. Saint William of Gellone, an 8th-century Frankish noble and monk, helped give the name early prestige. Royal bearers in England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Prussia, and Norman Sicily kept it prominent, while Shakespeare made it central to English literary history. Forms include French Guillaume, Spanish Guillermo, Italian Guglielmo, Dutch Willem, Welsh Gwilym, and Irish Uilliam; Liam, originally a short form, has become an independent given name in recent English-language use.

William has the following similar or variant Names

Wilhelm
Willelmus
Williame
Willelm
Guillaume
Guillermo
Guglielmo
Willem
Gwilym
Uilliam
Uilleam
Guilherme
Guillem
Vilhelm
Vilmos
Viliam
Vilém
Viljem
Vilhjálmur
Wiremu
Liam

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William – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country	Gender	Year	Rank	Born	of
Ireland	Boys	2025	#1	—	836
Germany	Boys	2025	#1	—	423
Sweden	Boys	2022	#2	674	1,509
Norway	Boys	2025	#3	368	444
Canada	Boys	2024	#5	1,367	2,588
New Zealand	Boys	2010	#5	320	99
ET		0	#6	1	246
FJ		0	#6	1	374
KR		0	#8	1	201
United States	Boys	2024	#10	10,596	7,044
SV		0	#11	1	283
BI		0	#12	1	425
HT		0	#12	1	399
MO		0	#13	40	2,706
FJ	Boys	0	#15	3	603
KR	Girls	0	#15	1	572
BW		0	#18	2	960
SV	Boys	0	#18	11	352
CN		0	#22	67	3,857
HN		0	#22	1	704
SG	Boys	0	#22	3,596	17,960
ID		0	#23	17	2,238
NA		0	#23	11	2,537
BF	Boys	0	#25	2	439
CN	Boys	0	#25	948	9,639
CO	Boys	0	#25	44,472	15,656
KR	Boys	0	#25	3	897
PR	Boys	0	#25	377	2,508
PR		0	#25	31	1,497
ET	Boys	0	#26	2	678
HT	Boys	0	#26	9	903
CM		0	#29	27	2,592
TW	Boys	0	#29	522	7,111
BN		0	#30	3	2,297
CR	Boys	0	#30	3,558	10,188
DJ	Boys	0	#36	1	657
MT		0	#36	8	1,767
HK	Boys	0	#37	3,714	12,905
ZA	Boys	0	#38	10,822	25,619
CM	Boys	0	#39	2,271	12,054
BI	Boys	0	#41	4	917
NL	Boys	2014	#43	38	79
HN	Boys	0	#45	8	749
ID	Boys	0	#45	99	4,130
SG		0	#45	312	11,010
GH	Boys	0	#49	1,235	8,138
MO	Boys	0	#50	272	5,842
CO		0	#53	2,329	7,768
AO		0	#55	22	2,729
BW	Boys	0	#55	111	4,685
HK		0	#55	525	8,483
TW		0	#55	46	4,523
CY		0	#57	4	1,632
Belgium	Boys	2024	#58	144	401
GT	Boys	0	#59	1,927	7,625
MY		0	#60	365	12,352
CR		0	#61	105	5,526
EC		0	#61	56	2,502
JP		0	#61	17	4,057
LU		0	#61	6	2,830
MY	Boys	0	#62	5,268	25,439
Switzerland	Boys	2024	#63	81	1,769
AO	Boys	0	#65	261	5,568
IN		0	#69	3	2,963
PE	Boys	0	#70	9,447	14,506
BR	Boys	0	#73	7,567	12,213
EC	Boys	0	#75	385	3,322
MV	Boys	0	#75	5	3,375
AL		0	#76	1	2,372
BN	Boys	0	#76	58	6,332
PH		0	#76	21	5,607
JM		0	#77	11	3,714
BG		0	#82	1	1,799
NA	Boys	0	#82	181	6,830
QA		0	#85	16	7,011
PH	Boys	0	#86	458	11,440
LT		0	#88	1	949
MT	Boys	0	#90	100	4,064
France	Boys	2021	#91	673	2,865
PA		0	#91	40	3,797
AF	Girls	0	#94	1	2,402
OM		0	#95	22	6,215
SD		0	#98	5	2,130
GT		0	#100	270	5,948
ZA		0	#100	455	14,421
ID	Girls	0	#101	2	3,319
PE		0	#102	283	6,350
GH		0	#103	173	5,396
BR		0	#106	342	5,969
KW		0	#106	11	5,216
CY	Boys	0	#107	23	3,473
GE	Boys	0	#108	3	2,055
PA	Boys	0	#113	949	9,305
HU		0	#114	2	1,675
LU	Boys	0	#115	110	4,970
DK	Boys	0	#116	369	7,401
EE	Boys	0	#117	9	2,087
UY	Boys	0	#118	1,158	5,922
JP	Boys	0	#122	201	7,909
BO	Boys	0	#129	1,652	9,244
IQ		0	#129	5	3,533
MU		0	#131	7	3,613
GR		0	#134	2	3,911
JO		0	#136	5	2,158
NL	Boys	0	#140	3,055	5,873
AE		0	#146	32	10,220
LT	Boys	0	#147	5	2,166
BW	Girls	0	#148	4	4,216
RS	Boys	0	#151	4	2,277
MT	Girls	0	#153	1	3,773
UY		0	#156	22	2,477
HU	Boys	0	#160	15	3,954
JM	Boys	0	#160	120	6,876
PR	Girls	0	#166	2	3,171
CL	Boys	0	#168	2,187	13,390
DK		0	#168	36	5,198
IT	Boys	0	#174	10,872	10,046
AR		0	#176	11	2,915
PT	Boys	0	#179	241	7,951
SD	Boys	0	#180	364	10,523
CZ		0	#182	5	3,154
NG	Boys	0	#186	2,918	16,906
LU	Girls	0	#190	1	4,850
NG		0	#190	76	5,926
RU		0	#190	5	3,641
Finland	Boys	2026	#195	1,973	3,552
MU	Boys	0	#204	162	8,477
PS		0	#206	13	5,692
SI	Boys	0	#208	4	3,402
PL		0	#211	2	2,600
AO	Girls	0	#213	5	4,575
BD		0	#214	14	5,992
BO		0	#214	178	6,868
BG	Boys	0	#216	5	3,850
MX	Boys	0	#216	2,832	16,355
HU	Girls	0	#225	1	3,308
AL	Girls	0	#227	1	4,141
IR		0	#227	5	4,221
NA	Girls	0	#233	5	7,146
PT		0	#233	14	4,161
GR	Boys	0	#234	34	6,912
HR	Boys	0	#234	25	3,997
SA		0	#240	56	10,560
NL		0	#243	155	2,481
CZ	Boys	0	#246	59	6,530
JP	Girls	0	#250	2	6,592
EC	Girls	0	#258	1	3,650
Finland	Boys	0	#258	183	2,041
IL		0	#259	16	6,291
MO	Girls	0	#259	5	7,056
AF	Boys	0	#266	9	3,535
AR	Boys	0	#273	266	7,628
Spain	Boys	0	#273	1,529	5,610
JO	Boys	0	#274	106	7,057
JM	Girls	0	#276	3	7,507
KZ	Boys	0	#276	14	6,578
TW	Girls	0	#283	7	8,139
AL	Boys	0	#285	14	5,122
Canada	Girls	2004	#292	5	2,526
Finland		0	#292	16	830
CL		0	#296	119	6,867
GH	Girls	0	#296	29	6,973
PL	Boys	0	#313	23	6,459
SY		0	#328	591	11,684
DK	Girls	0	#329	1	7,429
MX		0	#329	85	8,339
KZ	Girls	0	#332	1	5,862
IT		0	#333	598	4,183
Spain		0	#335	118	2,326
SD	Girls	0	#336	10	7,678
CN	Girls	0	#337	13	8,829
QA	Girls	0	#338	6	15,378
JO	Girls	0	#339	1	7,570
YE		0	#347	35	8,639
CZ	Girls	0	#351	1	5,378
MU	Girls	0	#362	1	8,539
PS	Boys	0	#362	197	10,655
IL	Boys	0	#364	274	10,983
RU	Boys	0	#368	140	12,621
Austria	Boys	0	#378	65	2,180
EG		0	#378	23	6,387
QA	Boys	0	#383	354	18,093
France	Girls	2003	#389	3	2,806
Germany		0	#394	44	2,542
LB		0	#394	309	13,263
EG	Boys	0	#401	739	15,035
BD	Girls	0	#405	2	8,413
OM	Girls	0	#417	8	15,987
KW	Boys	0	#421	378	18,755
NG	Girls	0	#422	467	15,093
PH	Girls	0	#422	8	13,098
BH		0	#438	116	17,937
CM	Girls	0	#462	79	11,671
PT	Girls	0	#469	3	7,952
Germany	Boys	0	#474	606	5,697
LY		0	#476	60	12,703
IR	Boys	0	#486	67	10,162
BD	Boys	0	#488	89	10,045
GT	Girls	0	#490	16	7,500
IQ	Girls	0	#495	10	11,303
IQ	Boys	0	#498	170	13,071
KW	Girls	0	#500	16	19,177
PA	Girls	0	#511	8	9,861
RU	Girls	0	#519	5	11,913
CR	Girls	0	#523	10	11,342
UY	Girls	0	#530	7	6,731
AE	Girls	0	#537	17	20,968
PS	Girls	0	#541	7	10,981
IR	Girls	0	#545	1	8,334
SG	Girls	0	#558	29	18,916
OM	Boys	0	#576	322	17,948
AE	Boys	0	#584	612	22,615
HK	Girls	0	#584	32	16,104
BO	Girls	0	#602	10	9,488
AR	Girls	0	#628	3	8,289
IL	Girls	0	#642	4	11,648
IN	Girls	0	#648	7	13,121
DZ		0	#695	538	20,130
SA	Boys	0	#701	1,348	28,008
TN		0	#710	120	13,765
IN	Boys	0	#818	185	16,750
CL	Girls	0	#838	14	14,098
CO	Girls	0	#851	232	16,140
MA		0	#854	279	20,986
BR	Girls	0	#884	58	12,708
PE	Girls	0	#891	53	14,861
SA	Girls	0	#895	41	25,931
United States	Girls	2024	#908	9	8,487
ZA	Girls	0	#913	229	25,928
NL	Girls	0	#943	13	5,933
EG	Girls	0	#945	15	14,742
MY	Girls	0	#958	37	24,821
Spain	Girls	0	#968	16	5,561
TR		0	#1,076	136	19,440
MX	Girls	0	#1,156	28	17,781
IT	Girls	0	#1,378	69	9,415

William is popular in 99 countries — most recent births per country:

France

Norway

Ireland

Scotland, United Kingdom

Canada

Belgium

Brussels, Belgium

Flanders, Belgium

Wallonia, Belgium

England & Wales, United Kingdom

New South Wales, Australia

Switzerland

Sweden

United States

Germany

New York City (Asian & Pacific Islander), United States

New York City (Hispanic), United States

New York City (White, non-Hispanic), United States

New York City (Black, non-Hispanic), United States

New Zealand

Austria

Germany

Spain

Finland

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