Williams

Williams - A very unique male name

Williams appeared on the charts for the first time in 1912 on position #1114. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Williams and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Williams? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Williams. The baby boy name Williams was given to 8 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3357 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 183,286 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Williams peaked in popularity 86 years ago in 1940 on position 638.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Williams, 1-5?

Williams is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Williams is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #2,070 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,070.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Williams is where you live.

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Williams origin and meaning

English and Welsh (transferred surname)

A transferred surname meaning 'son of William' — William itself is Germanic, 'resolute protector' (wil, 'will', plus helm, 'helmet, protection')

Williams is one of the commonest surnames in the English-speaking world, and as a first name it is the surname worn whole, final s and all. It peaked as a given name in 1950 and persists in tiny numbers, mostly as a family-surname honour name.

Attested etymology

Williams is a 8 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Williams, pop culture references for the name Williams and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Williams

We've found the following names that sound similar to Williams, sorted by popularity.

Wellington /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Williams

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Williams a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Williams?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

WIL-yumz · /ˈwɪljəmz/
The name is spoken with two syllables, although the syllable table gives three.

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• William — The singular given name from which the surname derives

Nicknames: WillBill

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Williams as a first name is a family tribute — usually a mother or grandmother's surname carried forward. It has a formal, old-Southern formality to it.

Worth knowing

• Everyone will assume Williams is his last name, and paperwork will regularly misfile it.
• The syllable table lists three syllables; the name is spoken with two.