How to Pronounce William
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William name meaning
First Name
4.1m
in the U.S.
since 1880
4.1m
in the U.S.
since 1880
Last Name
13k
in the U.S.
in 2010
13k
in the U.S.
in 2010
Girls
Boys
Meaning and Origin
What does the name William mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of William
User Submitted Origins
English
57%
German
21%
American
14%
African
3%
Irish
2%
French
2%
User Submitted Meanings
- A user from Indiana, U.S. says the name William is of German origin and means "Will to protect or helmeted protector, Willhelmet was first recorded as a Geman kings name".
- 2 submissions from Australia and the United States agree the name William means "Helmeted protector" and is of German origin.
- A submission from the United Kingdom says the name William means "From the German for helmet hence protector".
- A user from Virginia, U.S. says the name William is of American origin and means "Strong. leader. conqueror".
- According to 2 people from Michigan, U.S., the name William is of American / German origin and means "Resolute protector".
- According to a user from the United Kingdom, the name William is of French origin and means "Strong leader".
- According to a user from Tennessee, U.S., the name William is of English origin and means "Protector".
- A user from Colorado, U.S. says the name William is of English origin and means "Hero, Protector, Conquerer".
- 2 people from North Carolina, U.S. agree the name William is of American origin and means "Strong".
- A submission from Pennsylvania, U.S. says the name William means "Smart kind respectful strong".
- 2 people from the United States and Canada agree the name William is of Irish origin and means "God".
International Interest
Also see international interest
Wiktionary
From Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz, from *wiljô (“will”) + *helmaz (“helmet”). Cognate with German Wilhelm and Latin Gulielmus.
- A male given name from the Germanic languages popular since the Norman Conquest.
William was also found in the following language(s): Cebuano, Danish, French, Hungarian, Norwegian, Swedish, and Tagalog
Notable Persons Named William
Notable Persons Named William
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was a writer. William was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. He passed away on April 23rd, 1616.
William Christopher
William Christopher is an actor. His career lasted from 1965 to 2012. William was born on October 20th, 1932 in Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Bill Gates
Bill Gates is a technology advisor of microsoft, co-chair of the bill & melinda gates foundation, ceo of cascade investment, chair of corbis, microsoft, bill & melinda gates foundation, cascade investment, corbis, technology advisor ofmicrosoft, co-chair of thebill & mel. His most notable accomplishments were from 1975 to present. Bill was given the name William Henry Gates III by his parents William H. Gates, Sr., and Mary Maxwell Gates on October 28th, 1955 in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton is an actor and director. His ongoing career started in 1975. Bill was given the name William Paxton on May 17th, 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt is an actor and producer. His most notable accomplishments were from 1987 to present. Brad was given the name William Bradley Pitt on December 18th, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Bill Nye
Bill Nye is a in the field of mechanical engineering. Bill was given the name William Sanford Nye on November 27th, 1955 in Washington, D.C., U.S. Bill is also known as Bill Nye.
- Bill GoldbergFootball Player
- Caitlyn Jenner
- Bill MurrayActor
- William the ConquerorRoyalty
- Billy JoelMusician
- William ShatnerActor
- William IIIRoyalty
- Bill CosbyActor
- William Howard TaftJudge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- William Henry HarrisonMember of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Clark GableActor
- Bill BurrComedian
- William McKinley25th President of the United States
- Bill MaherComedian
Notable Persons With the Last Name William
Notable Persons With the Last Name William
Prince William
Prince William is royalty. He holds the title Duke of Cambridge([[#Titles, styles, and Duke of Cambridge. Prince was born as the child of Charles, Prince of Wales, Diana, and Princess of Wales on June 21st, 1982 in St Mary's Hospital, London.
Willy William
Willy William is a dance, mix, and dance music disc jockey, record producer, singing, and songwriter. His most notable accomplishments were from 2003 to present. Willy was born in Jamaica.
Frederick William
Frederick William was royalty. He was most active from 1640 to 1688. Frederick was born as the child of George William, Elector of Brandenburg, and Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (1597–1660) on February 16th, 1620 in City Palace, Berlin. He breathed his last breath on April 29th, 1688.
Warren William
Warren William was an actor. He was most active from 1920 to 1947. Warren was given the name Warren William Krech on December 2nd, 1894 in Aitkin, Minnesota, U.S. He left this life on September 24th, 1948.
Prince George William
Prince George William was royalty. Prince was born as the child of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, and Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia on March 25th, 1915 in Braunschweig. He left this life on January 8th, 2006.
Jayson Castro William
Jayson Castro William is a basketball player for the TNT Tropang Texters and Tropang TNT in the Philippine Basketball Association. He has been prominent since 2008. Jayson was born on June 30th, 1986 in Bacolor, Pampanga.
Ethnicity Distribution
| Ethnicity | William | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| █ | White | 35.20% | 64.26% |
| █ | African American | 53.62% | 11.96% |
| █ | Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander | 4.20% | 4.85% |
| █ | American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.05% | 0.69% |
| █ | Two or More Ethnicities | 2.38% | 1.76% |
| █ | Hispanic or Latino | 3.56% | 16.26% |
Of Last Name William
People with the last name William are most frequently White or African American
Entire United States
Fun Facts about the name William
| #5 | Most Popular Boy Names |
| #8 | Fastest Rising Boy Names |
| #1 | Classic Boy Names |