William

“Will and helmet” — Germanic via Norman French origin

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

William has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #2 (1880) · 4,199,696 babies named William all-time · 1 in 160 boys born in 2025.

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)

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

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).

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