Boy name · Germanic
William
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: resolute protectorWilliam is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "resolute protector". It is used in English, Scottish and Scandinavian.
- Meaning
- Resolute protector
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #9 in 2025
Meaning and origin of William
As a boy's name, William comes from Germanic and means "resolute protector". It is used in English, Scottish and Scandinavian.
William is also a surname: the 2,962nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 11,890 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
William on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about William on 4 lists.
“Resolute protector; Germanic. Formal, with Will and Liam inside”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“Resolute protector; Germanic. Will, Liam or Bill for short”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“Resolute protector; Germanic. Borne by the Norman duke who conquered England”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval male names from England and France
“Germanic for resolute protector; a 12th-century king called the Lion.”
From Scottish boy names, scottish kings, saints and heroes
How popular is William?
- US rank in 2025
- #9
- 10,545 babies, 6,174 per million boys
- Best rank
- #2 in 1880
- Most babies: 67,002 in 1947
- Babies since 1880
- At least 4,199,696
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 77,489 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 63,319 per million |
| 1900s | 51,062 per million |
| 1910s | 45,395 per million |
| 1920s | 46,500 per million |
| 1930s | 39,439 per million |
| 1940s | 37,380 per million |
| 1950s | 29,244 per million |
| 1960s | 21,878 per million |
| 1970s | 17,159 per million |
| 1980s | 13,450 per million |
| 1990s | 11,182 per million |
| 2000s | 9,740 per million |
| 2010s | 8,508 per million |
| 2020s | 6,568 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3 | #3 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #6 | #10 | #10 | #9 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for William
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Willcommon English nickname
- Billrhymes with Will; not common before the 19th century
- BillyBill + -y; Bill rhymes with Will
- Liamcommon English nickname
- Williecommon English nickname
Other forms of William
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BillyResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- GuglielmoResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- GuilhermeResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- GuillaumeResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- GuillermoResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- GwilymResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- UilleamResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- UilliamResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- VilhelmResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- WilhelmResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- WillResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- WillemResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like William
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- WilliWill and helmet (Germanic, boy)
- WillieResolute protector (Germanic, boy)
- WillisSon of Will (English, boy)
- WillkaThe sun (Aymara, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
- WilhelminaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- WilmaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- OsmundGod protector (Old English, boy)
- RamonaCounsel protector (Germanic, girl)
- RaymondCounsel protector (Germanic, boy)
- BillieResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
- EdmundoRich protector (Old English, boy)
- GeirmundSpear and protector (Old Norse, boy)
- GopalCowherd, protector of cows (Sanskrit, boy)
Middle names for William
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
William: common questions
What does the name William mean?
William comes from Germanic and means "resolute protector".
Is William a boy or girl name?
William is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 7 girls and 10,545 boys in the US were named William, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for William?
Common nicknames for William include Will, Bill, Billy, Liam and Willie.
How popular is the name William?
William ranked #9 in the US in 2025, with 10,545 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of William?
Forms of William with the same meaning and origin include Billy (English), Guglielmo (Italian), Guilherme (Portuguese), Guillaume (French) and Guillermo (Spanish).
What middle names go with William?
Middle names that flow well with William include Asher, Clark, Grant, Hugh and Knox. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.