William
Boy · WIL-yam · Germanic
Timeless
William is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “will and helmet”. In 2025 it ranked 27th for boys in the UK (1,574 babies) and 9th for boys in the US (10,545 babies).
What does William mean?
Germanic: via Norman French
“will and helmet”
Brought to England by William the Conqueror in 1066; it has been borne by four English and British kings.
- Say it
- WIL-yam
More on Wiktionary.
Is William a girl's or a boy's name?
William is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,574 boys in the UK and 7 girls and 10,545 boys in the US.
How popular is William in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #27among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,574about 1 in 190 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 42% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 7.1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,574 boys in the UK were named William, making it the 27th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 21st. Its busiest year was 1999, with 5,618 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 15 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named William since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named William in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 25th in England and Wales, 52nd in Scotland and 59th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#1), 1914 (#2), 1924 (#2), 1934 (#3), 1944 (#9), 1954 (#15), 1964 (#29), 1974 (#41), 1984 (#34), 1994 (#19), 2004 (#8), 2014 (#10) and 2024 (#27).
William in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,574 | #27 |
| 2024 | 1,634 | #29 |
| 2023 | 1,677 | #31 |
| 2022 | 1,962 | #25 |
| 2021 | 2,286 | #21 |
| 2020 | 2,384 | #21 |
| 2019 | 2,869 | #18 |
| 2018 | 3,218 | #16 |
| 2017 | 3,659 | #12 |
| 2016 | 4,063 | #11 |
| 2015 | 4,324 | #11 |
| 2014 | 4,379 | #11 |
| 2013 | 4,534 | #9 |
| 2012 | 4,862 | #10 |
| 2011 | 4,913 | #11 |
| 2010 | 5,558 | #8 |
| 2009 | 5,545 | #8 |
| 2008 | 5,441 | #10 |
| 2007 | 5,428 | #9 |
| 2006 | 5,174 | #8 |
| 2005 | 5,391 | #8 |
| 2004 | 5,502 | #8 |
| 2003 | 5,165 | #10 |
| 2002 | 5,305 | #7 |
| 2001 | 4,785 | #12 |
| 2000 | 5,099 | #14 |
| 1999 | 5,618 | #12 |
| 1998 | 5,194 | #14 |
| 1997 | 4,858 | #17 |
| 1996 | 4,515 | #20 |
How popular is William in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #9among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 10,545about 1 in 160 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 22% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 8.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 10,545 boys in the US were named William, making it the 9th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 67,002 boys. 7 girls were also named William in 2025 (11,928th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 11 years. 2025 had fewer boys named William than any year since 1910.
Half of all the boys named William in the US since 1880 were born between 1930 and 1973, the years shaded on the chart below.
William in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10,545 | #9 |
| 2024 | 10,647 | #10 |
| 2023 | 10,673 | #10 |
| 2022 | 11,356 | #6 |
| 2021 | 12,170 | #6 |
| 2020 | 12,676 | #5 |
| 2019 | 13,658 | #4 |
| 2018 | 14,646 | #3 |
| 2017 | 15,046 | #3 |
| 2016 | 15,810 | #3 |
| 2015 | 15,950 | #5 |
| 2014 | 16,851 | #5 |
| 2013 | 16,669 | #5 |
| 2012 | 16,917 | #5 |
| 2011 | 17,362 | #3 |
| 2010 | 17,072 | #5 |
| 2009 | 17,937 | #5 |
| 2008 | 18,403 | #8 |
| 2007 | 18,898 | #8 |
| 2006 | 18,965 | #10 |
| 2005 | 19,060 | #11 |
| 2004 | 20,237 | #8 |
| 2003 | 20,000 | #11 |
| 2002 | 20,136 | #11 |
| 2001 | 20,110 | #10 |
| 2000 | 20,669 | #11 |
| 1999 | 20,718 | #14 |
| 1998 | 20,836 | #14 |
| 1997 | 20,020 | #19 |
| 1996 | 20,546 | #18 |
| 1995 | 20,160 | #20 |
| 1994 | 21,492 | #19 |
| 1993 | 22,218 | #18 |
| 1992 | 23,066 | #20 |
| 1991 | 23,860 | #19 |
| 1990 | 24,906 | #16 |
| 1989 | 24,673 | #15 |
| 1988 | 24,126 | #16 |
| 1987 | 24,202 | #15 |
| 1986 | 24,333 | #15 |
| 1985 | 24,606 | #16 |
| 1984 | 24,900 | #16 |
| 1983 | 25,396 | #16 |
| 1982 | 25,604 | #15 |
| 1981 | 24,798 | #15 |
| 1980 | 25,639 | #14 |
| 1979 | 24,676 | #13 |
| 1978 | 24,170 | #13 |
| 1977 | 24,758 | #12 |
| 1976 | 24,428 | #11 |
| 1975 | 25,561 | #10 |
| 1974 | 26,980 | #10 |
| 1973 | 28,018 | #9 |
| 1972 | 30,510 | #9 |
| 1971 | 35,413 | #7 |
| 1970 | 38,887 | #7 |
| 1969 | 37,607 | #6 |
| 1968 | 36,927 | #6 |
| 1967 | 37,615 | #6 |
| 1966 | 38,237 | #6 |
| 1965 | 40,111 | #6 |
| 1964 | 44,224 | #7 |
| 1963 | 44,453 | #7 |
| 1962 | 44,853 | #7 |
| 1961 | 48,045 | #7 |
| 1960 | 49,361 | #7 |
| 1959 | 51,386 | #7 |
| 1958 | 54,254 | #6 |
| 1957 | 56,852 | #6 |
| 1956 | 58,991 | #6 |
| 1955 | 59,990 | #6 |
| 1954 | 61,426 | #6 |
| 1953 | 61,829 | #6 |
| 1952 | 63,039 | #6 |
| 1951 | 62,781 | #6 |
| 1950 | 60,680 | #6 |
| 1949 | 61,506 | #4 |
| 1948 | 61,972 | #4 |
| 1947 | 67,002 | #4 |
| 1946 | 60,034 | #4 |
| 1945 | 50,218 | #4 |
| 1944 | 52,375 | #4 |
| 1943 | 55,904 | #4 |
| 1942 | 54,890 | #4 |
| 1941 | 47,798 | #4 |
| 1940 | 44,779 | #4 |
| 1939 | 42,071 | #4 |
| 1938 | 42,433 | #4 |
| 1937 | 40,725 | #4 |
| 1936 | 39,398 | #4 |
| 1935 | 40,204 | #4 |
| 1934 | 40,175 | #4 |
| 1933 | 39,049 | #4 |
| 1932 | 42,124 | #4 |
| 1931 | 43,280 | #4 |
| 1930 | 47,271 | #4 |
| 1929 | 47,815 | #4 |
| 1928 | 49,118 | #4 |
| 1927 | 51,476 | #4 |
| 1926 | 51,922 | #4 |
| 1925 | 53,310 | #3 |
| 1924 | 53,506 | #3 |
| 1923 | 52,136 | #3 |
| 1922 | 51,111 | #3 |
| 1921 | 51,862 | #3 |
| 1920 | 50,146 | #2 |
| 1919 | 43,969 | #2 |
| 1918 | 45,291 | #2 |
| 1917 | 42,422 | #2 |
| 1916 | 40,418 | #2 |
| 1915 | 38,563 | #2 |
| 1914 | 29,753 | #2 |
| 1913 | 23,538 | #2 |
| 1912 | 19,626 | #2 |
| 1911 | 10,593 | #2 |
| 1910 | 8,844 | #3 |
| 1909 | 7,913 | #2 |
| 1908 | 7,529 | #2 |
| 1907 | 6,904 | #2 |
| 1906 | 6,566 | #2 |
| 1905 | 6,495 | #2 |
| 1904 | 6,416 | #2 |
| 1903 | 6,311 | #2 |
| 1902 | 6,617 | #2 |
| 1901 | 5,990 | #2 |
| 1900 | 8,579 | #2 |
| 1899 | 6,086 | #2 |
| 1898 | 7,400 | #2 |
| 1897 | 7,198 | #2 |
| 1896 | 7,747 | #2 |
| 1895 | 7,277 | #2 |
| 1894 | 7,274 | #2 |
| 1893 | 7,223 | #2 |
| 1892 | 7,782 | #2 |
| 1891 | 6,763 | #2 |
| 1890 | 7,494 | #2 |
| 1889 | 7,772 | #2 |
| 1888 | 8,705 | #2 |
| 1887 | 7,470 | #2 |
| 1886 | 8,252 | #2 |
| 1885 | 8,044 | #2 |
| 1884 | 8,897 | #2 |
| 1883 | 8,387 | #2 |
| 1882 | 9,298 | #2 |
| 1881 | 8,524 | #2 |
| 1880 | 9,532 | #2 |
Nicknames for William
Names like William
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Harry Thomas James Joseph Charles Charlie Edward Lewis Robert Jack Frederick Henry
Other spellings of William
Names related to William
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Charlotte Archie Emma Freddie Ella Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles Lottie Avery