William
Resolute protector · Germanic origin
What does William mean?
William is a male name of Germanic origin, meaning “Resolute protector”.
How popular is William?
In England & Wales, William ranked #27 among boys' names in 2024, with 1,517 babies given the name — down from #10 in 2014. Its strongest year in the England & Wales series is 2006, when it reached #7.
In the United States, William was the #5 boys' name in the 2020 data, after peaking at #2 in 1880.
| Year | E&W rank | Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | #21 | 4,269 |
| 2000 | #12 | 4,804 |
| 2005 | #8 | 5,106 |
| 2006 | #7 | 4,886 |
| 2010 | #7 | 5,256 |
| 2015 | #8 | 4,083 |
| 2020 | #20 | 2,215 |
| 2024 | #27 | 1,517 |
Who are famous people named William?
- William Shakespeare · English playwright and poet (1564–1616)
- Bill Gates · American businessman, investor, and philanthropist (born 1955)
- Stephen Hawking · British theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author (1942–2018)
What names go well with William?
More on William
Germanic, steadfast and number 5 in the United States and Canada, William is the classic that refuses to go out of style.
William: a resolute protector with four nicknames — William as our Name of the Day.
Henry: the home ruler with a nickname for every mood — William gets a mention.
Thomas: the twin, the classic, the kitchen table of names — William gets a mention.
James: the name that never needed a comeback — William gets a mention.
Elizabeth: a nickname for every mood — William gets a mention.
Swipe & match on William in Settle