William

“Will and helmet” — Germanic via Norman French origin

Boy's name · #9 in the US (2025) · Timeless

William has held steady since 1880, standing at #9 in 2025. At one stretch it held the national top 10 for 96 consecutive years. William's short forms are Bill, Billy, Will, Willie, and Billie. Popular twin pairings with William include Benjamin, James, and Andrew for boys, and Emma, Elizabeth, and Sophia for girls.

Around the world: #3 in Norway (2025) · #5 in Australia (QLD) (2025) · #5 in Canada (2024) · #7 in Sweden (2025) · #9 in Denmark (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states, the #1 boy's name in 1 of them. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Williams

William Shakespeare — English playwright and poet (1564–1616)
William Blake — English poet and artist (1757–1827)
William Butler Yeats — Irish poet and playwright (1865–1939)
William Faulkner — American writer (1897-1962)
William Howard Taft — 27th President of the United States from 1909 to 1913 (1857–1930)

In stories & tradition

William Tell — folklore character
William (Captain Marvel) — Batman: The Brave and the Bold · Justice League Unlimited
William (Bill Weasley) — Harry Potter

What Williams become

Among 37,503 notable people named William:

Military figures appear 3× more often than among typical names — e.g. William Tecumseh Sherman, United States Army general (1820–1891).

Similar names: John · Wyatt · Charles · James · Robert · Anthony

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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