William

At a Glance: Name: William – Meaning: will joined with helmet, i.e. resolute protector – Origin: Germanic (Frankish, via Old French after the Norman Conquest) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: WIL-yum

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William combines "will" and "helmet" into a meaning of resolute protector, a name that's carried through English since the Norman Conquest brought it over from Old French, rooted further back in Frankish Germanic. Said WIL-yum, it has a bold, timeless, classic feel — a name with real staying power. If you're weighing it for a son, you're picking something with centuries of continuous use behind it.

Meaning & Origin of William

Meaning: Will joined with helmet, i.e. resolute protector.

Origin: Germanic (Frankish, via Old French after the Norman Conquest).

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce William

Phonetic: WIL-yum   IPA: /ˈwɪljəm/

Popularity of William

William ranked #2 back in 1880 with 9,532 babies given the name, and in 2024 it sits at #10 with 10,596 — so even after 144 years, it's still landing in the top ten.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.

Make William Name Art

Free printable nursery art for William, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Albert
• Henry
• Roderick
• Dereck
• Einar
• Frida

FAQ

What does the name William mean?

Will joined with helmet, i.e. resolute protector. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/William)

How do you pronounce William?

William is pronounced WIL-yum (IPA: /ˈwɪljəm/).

Is William a popular name right now?

William peaked at #2 in 1880 and is ranked #10 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)

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