Origin, Meaning, And History Of William
A classic through the ages, William has been a name that continues to be popular even today. William comes from the German word ‘Wilhelm,’ which means protector. Wilhelm is composed of ‘will’ and ‘helmet,’ where the helmet represents protection. Thus, William refers to a resolute protector or a strong-willed warrior. In this way, the name can be considered to carry the perception of solid willpower, desire, and determination.
The classic name is rooted in English culture as well. The name was first introduced to the culture with the rise of William I, the first Norman king of England. In 1066, he was known as ‘William the Conqueror.’ During his reign, he led the Norman conquest and changed British history.
The name has crossed many boundaries. For instance, after the Norman conquest, the name entered Irish regions and became Liam, from their way of pronouncing William as Ulliam. Similarly, other variations suggest Willum in Scotland, Guilermon among Spanish, and Guillaume in French culture. Other versions in English include Will, Wills, Willy, Willie, Bill, and Billy. Wilkin or Wilkins is another version of William with ‘kin’ as a suffix and is of medieval origin. The feminine forms of the name are Willa, Wilma, Willemina, and Wilhelmina.
Since it is a popular given name, one can see it in numerous places in popular culture. We have seen the admirable appearance of William ‘Will’ Byers in the popular American TV series ‘Stranger Things.’ Additionally, Dr. William Birkin is one of the lead characters of the video game franchise ‘Resident Evil.’ Moreover, in 1922, the classic children’s storybook ‘Just William’ portrayed the adventures of the lead character William Brown, the young school kid. And of course, we remember the beautiful characterization of William ‘Bill’ Anderson as Riley’s father in the award-winning American animation ‘Inside Out.’
After staying in the number five position for four years, William moved to the number three position where it remained for three years in a row. Since 2001, William has featured in the top 10 names in the US.
William
Boy
Christianity
Germanic
7
Three
1 word, 7 letters, 3 vowels, 4 consonants
Medium length and moderately easy to pronounce
How To Pronounce William?
The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.
Listen to the sound of the name William in German.
Famous People With The Name William
- WilliamPrince of Wales, known as Duke of Cambridge
- William ShakespeareEnglish playwright, popular as the greatest writer and poet of all time, and most famous pre-eminent dramatist in the world
- William WordsworthEnglish poet, known for his contribution to Romantic Age with The Prelude
- William McChord HurtAmerican actor, awarded with BAFTA Award, Academy Award as such for Best Actor
- William Kingdon CliffordBritish mathematician, popular for inventing Geometric algebra
- William NordhausAmerican economist, best known for his economic contribution and modeling climate change, won Nobel Memorial Prize of Economic science in 2018
- William JamesAmerican philosopher, best known as the first eductor of Psychology in USA
- William BlakeEnglish poet, best known as The Pioneer of Romantic era
William On The Popularity Chart
Even though the name is a classic, William’s popularity has gone down since the early 2000s. Take a look at the charts below to learn more.
Popularity Over Time
Till the early 2000s, the name was immensely popular, recording 19992 babies per million with the name in 2003. However, in 2021 the name was given to 12088 babies per million.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
The name did very well in 1983 coming in at 12086 rank. It hit a low in 2007 with 20580 rank.
Source: Social Security AdministrationWilliam On MomJunction Popularity Chart
Know how popular the name William is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.
Names With Similar Sound As William
Looking for names that sound similar to William? Check out the suggestions below.
Popular Sibling Names For William
If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with William, check our suggestions here.
Boy Sibling Names For William
Find matching brother names for William and create a wonderful team of siblings.
AalamAalambi Aalamgeer Aalim Aeilmar Aelmar Aelmer Aillmer Ailmar Ailmer Girl Sibling Names For William
Looking for some suitable sister names for William? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.
AalimahAhlaam Ahlam Ahlima Alamara Alamea Aleema Aleemah Alima Alimah Other Popular Names Beginning With W
Looking for more baby names starting with the letter W to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.
Names With Similar Meaning As William
There are plenty of variations offering the same meaning as William. Take a look at the options below.
Popular Songs On The Name William
Acrostic Poem On William
Dive into the lyrical charm of the name William with this acrostic poem. Witness how each letter paints together a story, capturing the name’s individuality, strength, vitality, and sophistication. Inspiring, is it? Why not try a similar poem that describes what you think of your baby’s personality?
Wild at heart, an adventurer, always seeking the wonders of the unknown.
Impeccable in every detail, illustrious at every task.
Lively spirit bursting with vivacity and zest for life.
Lively soul illuminated with joyous laughter.
Illuminating ideas that will inspire the world.
Affectionate heart, you speak through loving actions.
Mesmerizing right from the first time you opened your eyes.
William’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology
Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name William. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.
Zodiac Sign (Rashi)
As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.
| Rashi (zodiac sign) | Vrishabha (Taurus) |
|---|---|
| Starting letters for Vrishabha (Taurus) rashi | B, V, U, W |
| Representation | Bull |
| Element | Earth |
| Ruling body | Venus |
| Quality | Fixed (sthira) |
Birth Star (Nakshatra)
Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.
The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Vrishabha (Taurus) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.
| Nakshatra | Degrees Of The Nakshatra | Nakshatra Lord (Ruler) | Name Syllables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krittika (Karthikai, Krithika) | Taurus (0 to 10 degrees) | Sun | Aa, Ae, E, Ee, Ai, A, I, Oo, U |
| Rohini | Taurus (10 to 23.20 degrees) | Moon | O, Va, Vaa, Vi, Vee, Wa, Wu |
| Mrigashira (Makayiram, Mrigasira) | Taurus (23.20 to 30 degrees) | Mars | Ve, Vo, Ka, Kaa, Ki, Kee, We, Wo |
Infographic: Know The Name William‘s Personality As Per Numerology
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William In Different Languages
It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell William in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying William, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!
| Name | Language | Code |
|---|---|---|
| William | English | en |
| 威廉 | Chinese | zh-CN |
| विलियम | Hindi | hi |
| William | Spanish | es |
| William | French | fr |
| وليام | Arabic | ar |
| উইলিয়াম | Bengali | bn |
| William | Portuguese | pt |
| Уильям | Russian | ru |
| ولیم | Urdu | ur |
| William | Indonesian | id |
| William | German | de |
| ウィリアム | Japanese | ja |
| विलियम | Marathi | mr |
| విలియం | Telugu | te |
| William | Turkish | tr |
| வில்லியம் | Tamil | ta |
| William | Vietnamese | vi |
| William | Tagalog | tl |
| 윌리엄 | Korean | ko |
| William | Hausa | ha |
| William | Swahili | sw |
| William | Javanese | jv |
| William | Italian | it |
| ਵਿਲੀਅਮ | Punjabi | pa |
| વિલિયમ | Gujarati | gu |
| วิลเลียม | Thai | th |
| ವಿಲಿಯಂ | Kannada | kn |
| ዊልያም | Amharic | am |
| विलियम | Bhojpuri | bho |
| William | Yoruba | yo |
How To Communicate The Name William In Sign Languages
In Nautical Flags
william
In Sign Language
william
In Braille Alphabet
william
In Morse Code
william
Name Numerology For William
Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name William, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.
Baby Name Lists Containing William
Read through our baby name lists that include the name William and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?
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Movie Titles Inspired By The Name William
Discover the presence of William in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.
| Movie title | Other titles | Release year |
|---|---|---|
| William & Kate: Raising a Royal Family | 2022 | |
| The Siege of Fort William Henry | 2021 | |
| Can Art Stop a Bullet: William Kelly's Big Picture | ¿Puede el arte detener una bala? | 2020 |
| Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist | İnançlı Atlayış: Friedkin Şeytan'ı Anlatıyor, L'exorciste selon William Friedkin, Na wiarę. 'Egzorcysta' Williama Friedkina, Nella mente dell'esorcista, Salto de Fé: William Friedkin sobre O Exorcista, Τυφλή πίστη: Ο Γουίλιαμ Φρίντκιν μιλά για τον Εξορκιστή, Прыжок веры: «Изгоняющий дьявола» Уильяма Фридкина, 超信仰分析：大法師 | 2019 |
| William Tecumseh Sherman: Beyond the March to the Sea | 2019 | |
| William | Вільям | 2019 |
| I Am William | Ich bin William, Ik ben William, Jag är William, Jeg er William, Jestem William, Mans vārds ir Viljams, Я - Вiльям | 2017 |
| Gina's Journey: The Search for William Grimes | 2017 |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the meaning of the name William?
The name William means ‘protector’ or ‘a strong-willed warrior.’
2. What is the origin of the name William?
William has a German origin.
3. How to pronounce the name William?
William is pronounced as wil-lee-am.
4. What are some nicknames for William?
Willy, Bill, Wills, Billy, Wil, Liam, Will, Willie, and Wim are a few popular, cute, and endearing nicknames for William. These short and endearing names infuse a sense of charm to the given name, making it even more lovable and cherished.
5. Is there a patron saint associated with the name William?
Saint William of Gellone is an eighth-century patron saint associated with William. Known as the second Duke of Toulouse, William of Gellone established the Abbey of Gellone in 804
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