About the name William
The Conquest made William the dominant English name almost overnight, and nearly a thousand years later it has still never left the top twenty. Its shortened form Liam now outranks it in several countries, which is the rare case of a nickname overtaking its parent while both remain in heavy use.
William is a boy name of Old German origin, pronounced WIL-yum. On the NameRarity scale it scores 6 out of 100, which places it in the very popular band — a chart-topping name. Common on class registers and in headlines alike. Its strongest period was the 1900s.
Name facts at a glance
How popular is William?
William sits at approximately #5 in recent US rankings. Roughly 5,750 people per million carry it — about 1 in 174. In a school of 1,000 pupils you would expect around 6.
Famous people named William
- William ShakespeareEnglish playwright and poet
- William, Prince of Walesheir to the British throne
Spellings and variants of William
Names similar to William
Liam
LEE-um
Resolute protector, strong-willed warrior
Walter
WAWL-ter
Ruler of the army
Wolfgang
WOOLF-gang
Wolf path, travelling wolf
Edmund
ED-mund
Fortunate protector
Warren
WOR-en
Park keeper, enclosure
Wilhelmina
vil-hel-MEE-nah
Resolute protector
Robert
RAH-bert
Bright fame
Rupert
ROO-pert
Bright fame
William — frequently asked questions
What does the name William mean?
William means "Resolute protector". It is a name of Old German origin, most often given to a boy.
How do you pronounce William?
William is pronounced WIL-yum, with 2 syllables.
How rare is the name William?
William scores 6 out of 100 on the NameRarity scale, which makes it very popular. Roughly 1 in every 174 people carry it — about 5,750 per million.
What is the numerology number for William?
William carries the expression number 7, known as The Seeker. Its soul urge number is 1 and its personality number is 6.
What is the lucky number and lucky colour for William?
The lucky number for William is 7 (with 16, 25, 34 also favourable), and its lucky colour is Deep Violet. The traditional lucky day is Monday and the associated gemstone is Sapphire.
Is William a popular name?
William currently sits around rank #5 in the United States, and its strongest period was the 1900s.