Meaning
Usage
Pronunciation
Famous
Impression
Other
I think it’s hilarious reading the comments of people that really took their time to post on here, that they hate the name William what a sad, sad life they must have with that being said, I have a pretty good story so after a few years of not seeing my father I decide to go down south to visit him mind you my name is William his name was Peter so as I’m sitting at a local tavern with my father, one of his female friends A local regular at the tavern who adored my father asked me, so how did you get your name? I laughed and explained to her that it’s kind of a funny story. My mother wanted to name me Troy and my father put his foot down thank God so then my mother then tried to name me after my father Peter my father protested that that would never happen he would not have his son being called little Peter, his whole life, and as I finish the story and my beverage I kind of looked up at my father, and I said well come to think of it little Willy wasn’t any better ….. True story …… however, my father called me Billy my whole life I did not enjoy that as soon as I got into grade school, the kids in the class started to call me Will short for William and to be honest I liked it a lot better, but it was one of those things where I didn’t really ask anybody to start calling me Will the more and more my friends would come over to my house or see me out in public with my parents and they kept hearing everyone call me will It kind of bewildered them they were like WTF I explained to them it didn’t really matter to me. There is even a few times where I heard my parents ask, who the hell is Will really not even realizing it was me.lol anyways long story short I still prefer Will over everything and the only people that call me Billy is family that I haven’t spent much time with lately……. 🤷🏻‍♂️ why did he tell this long story you ask well why the hell were you on here complaining about names that aren’t yours is my only answer🤣.
Extremely outdated.
Anonymous user 2/18/2024, since when is William an outdated name? It’s literally a top 10 name at the moment. It has also always been a top 20 name in the top 1000 chart.
This name ages really well.
William Afton.
There’s a William & Mary university in Williamsburg, VA.
Let's see if I understand... Some of you don't like the name because it's associated with William Afton from the games, and now the famous movie, Five Nights at Freddy's? Just because the character has that name doesn't mean that the person called William is a child killer, I'm a FnaF fan and I'm oblivious enough in real life to know that and things aren't always about my fandom.William is a classic name, it reminds me of royalty and I always think of a very polite and kind person with that name. I really love the nicknames Billy and Willy! They're cute and honestly I would call someone named William that, if they felt comfortable of course.
I love this name. It is a strong, classic name that never seems dated. I think of someone who is intelligent with great self-control and very skillful. I’m naming my son this, if my husband will be on board.
Shocked no one mentioned him, but William Hanna was a co founder of Hanna Barbera studios, who created some of the most iconic cartoons, such as Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons etc... His cartoons will live on in the archives for many generations to come.
Here are 2 reasons why I don't like this name:
1. I know 2 very naughty and annoying and mean William's who are very immature.
2. This name seems very old to me and I hate old names and I don't think it would suit a baby with it.
Actually I changed my mind this name is amazing and timeless! I don't like the nickname "Willy" though.
William Marshall (1924 – 2003) was an American actor, director and opera singer. He played the title role in the 1972 blaxploitation classic Blacula and its sequel Scream Blacula Scream (1973), and appeared as the King of Cartoons on the 1980s television show Pee-wee's Playhouse and as Dr. Richard Daystrom on the Star Trek television series. He was 6‘5” (1.96 m) tall and was known for his bass voice.
William Warfield (1920 – 2002) was an American concert bass-baritone singer and actor, known for his appearances in stage productions, Hollywood films, and television programs. A prominent African American artist during the Civil Rights era, he worked with many notable artists, represented the United States during foreign tours, taught at academic institutions, and earned numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award in 1984.
William is the name of several characters in The X-Files, including Fox Mulder's father (Mulder's middle name is also William), Dana Scully's father, Dana Scully's older brother, as well as being the original name of Mulder and Scully's son.
William "Billy" Mills, also known as Tamakhóčhe Theȟíla, is an American Oglala Lakota former track and field athlete who won a gold medal in the 10,000 metre run (6.2 mi) at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His 1964 victory is considered one of the greatest Olympic upsets because he was a virtual unknown going into the event. He was the first non-European to win the Olympic event and remains the only winner from the Americas. A United States Marine, Mills is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
The only people that actually like this name are old white people and moms who hate their own children. The name is just super hillbilly, quit using it.
I don't like to put other names down but I much prefer William to just Liam. Not only does William have more nicknames to choose (including Liam), it also feels more complete.
I'm genuinely surprised no one has mentioned William Henry “Bill” Cosby Jr., an American actor, comedian and media personality.
"Willi" sounds so weird and unattractive.
William Adam Reid (born 28 October 1958) is a Scottish songwriter, musician and singer. Songwriter, guitarist, co-founder and occasional singer of the Scottish alternative rock band, The Jesus and Mary Chain.
It's certainly a good name to fall back on if you're struggling to find other boy names. Nothing bad about this name and it will always be in style.
He's some reasons why William is one of the best names:
1. William the Conquerer, the only man to have successfully taken over England
2. William Gates, successful billionaire who made the company "Microsoft"
3. William Harvey who discovered the function of the heart and the circulation of blood
4. William Shakespeare who was arguably the most famous writer in history
5. Prince William one of the most beloved royals in English history
6. William Thomson who developed the Kelvin temperature scale
7. William Wilberforce who spent his life fighting to end slavery
8. William James Adams or Will I am who is one of the most famous singers of all time
9. William Li who is one of the biggest and best fitness influencers of all time
10. William Smith is a famous American actor who worked on over 25 movies
11. Kiser Wilhelm who was one of Germany's best leaders ever
12. It's a good sounding name, not much else sounds like it
13. It's easy to pronounce
14. It works on any type of person
15. You can picture it on a young child and all the way up to a senior citizen
16. It has over 10 different nicknames/versionsNow I could go on a while about why this is one of the best names ever, but I think this should be enough.
Cool name.
There's a guy from Code Lyoko who also goes by that name. He may have gone evil in season 3, but not by choice.
Totally a fan. It's one of the perfect examples of a timeless classic.
Shadowhunter William (Will) Herondale, husband to Tessa, parabatai to Jem, father to James and Lucie, from Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices.
It's my name, and it is the best name ever. Parents should really go with this or other good names like Christof, Sabastian, Lucas, Matthew, Evan, George, Riley, Jack, Jesse, Ian, Jamie, Louie, Omar, Usith, Duad, Mohammed, samule, Joseph, Marcus and other good names instead of horrible names like Joe, Thomas, Erick etc.
None of those names you mentioned in your first comment were horrible, all of those are nice names. Thomas is one of my favorites. Anyways, William is a great name.
This is a classic example of a timeless name that somehow never goes out of style. Love the banner!
Possibly one of, if not the most timeless name of all time, there’s not a single year & century where this name would look weird on someone born in it.
Suuuuuuper sexy would date.
William, John, James, George, Timothy, Thomas, Henry, Daniel, David… parents please go with names like these or similar classics.
William from the game Blush Blush.
William Hill (16 July, 1903 - 15 October, 1971) is an English businessman who founded the eponymous company, William Hill.
This name is very hot.
William is a great timeless name. It will never go out of style!
William Wybert Rousby (1835 – 1907) was an English actor, in later years a theatre proprietor and actor in the island of Jersey.
Boring and uninteresting. I like the meaning though!
It's such a manly name. It's good for both a toddler and an old man. I personally love the nicknames Will and Liam. In my head a person with the name William is a kind hearted, smart and a warm man with brown hair and blue icy eyes. I love the meaning too. Everything about this name is perfect ♡.
It's such a evil name. Every character in movies, cartoons and games that have this name is Evil.
Like William Afton who was a child murderer. And the silly nicknames Billy and Bill are making this name more ridiculous. Even kids with this name are evil and spoiled.
I disagree that all people named William are evil. That makes no sense at all, because your name does not define you as a person.
I love this name, but it can be a hassle dealing with all the nicknames.
A splendid name. Sounds like the name of someone strong-willed and kind.
A little boring.
It's alright but it's such a strong and handsome name.
This is my name, and it’s pretty cool. I prefer to be addressed by Will, though. This is nice for when it’s formal; but I prefer to be addressed as Will in normal life. If you want to name your child this name regardless, go ahead. Nobody is stopping you. ;)
This is Wilbur Soot's real name!
I like this name. My brother has this name and it just sounds tough to me. Chill name.
Never understood why people call me 'Wills' where is the 's' in William? Got no issue with my name other than people calling me 'Wills' or god forbid - 'Willie'
I know a lot of people called 'Bill' (same kinda thing, I don't understand where the B comes from in William) and know a lot of Liams
but yeah it's got a lot of history and ties with royalty which is cool. Gotta be honest though my personality doesn't match my name at all! But hey - thanks mum and dad for making me sound classy xD.
Love this name, even though it's like, one of the most common names ever. If somebody asked you to say what immediately comes to mind when you think of a boy's name, you would probably say William. Besides all that, this name is great! Good for all ages.
I like the flow of William Donovan.
A bit outdated, but also a strong royal name with a rich history. Although if my name was William, I'd use Will, not Bill as a nickname. Bill as a nickname is so lame and old-fashioned. Will is way cooler.
There is a song by The Smiths called "William, It Was Really Nothing".
My 4th comment, but I just had to say. In namesakes I found a saint with my first and last name William Barrow! Wow, that's pretty cool! The three men before me with my name (father, grandfather, great-grandfather) were definitely not saints and neither am I. I like to think that I'm a good person, though. That isn't for me to say, though. That's how others perceive me. Like everyone, I've made mistakes in my life, despite being young (17). Idk if you could call me a saint, tbh.
In my opinion, William is a good, strong solid name. It is a timelessly beloved classic, deeply abundant in history and borne by kings, rulers, saints and conquerors. Its wonderful meaning: “helmet of protection” only adds to its excellence. Nickname potentials are more than plentiful, such as Bill, Billy, Will, Willie and Liam (to name a few), which is nice, and it easily “suits” a person of any age, whether it's a newborn baby, toddler, preteen, teenager, young adult, middle-aged adult or senior adult. Also, it's undeniably impressive that the name has never fallen out of the top 20 names for boys in the US since the 1880's. It proves its incredible fame and popularity, yes, but it also goes to show that it has truly withstood the test of time, making it an easily admirable name.
Overall, I think William is a delightful name, graced with strength, class and elegance.
William is an awesome name to have!
I named my daughter this name and I really think it suits her well. We call her "Willi" in the family.
Very handsome.
I think it's a beautiful name for a man. It's full of history.
I LOVE the name William! It is a classic and cool name that fits men of all ages! I know around 8 boys called William in my school and 1 (one) in my learning center. Co-founder of Tokopedia (an online shopping app in my country) has this as his first name too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tanuwijaya. Haha, I haven't heard of William being used here until found out that I have a friend with this name!
Handsome and strong! However, I DESPISE Willy as a nickname!
Hey people! I just thought I should take the time to comment on my own name. Even though I already have. I have always LOVED my name, and I hope you do as well. Personally, I prefer people to address me as Will. It's always been my nickname, and I think it sounds cool. Like the other user, my people usually always call me William when I'm in trouble (hehe... ;) The other nicknames I hate, especially Liam. Also, Bill? I know many Williams who go by Bill, but where does Bill derive from William? I hate it. I pronounce William as "Will-yum", and I hate when people stress the second "I" and pronounce it "EEE". "Will-E-um"...I hate that. If you love this name, totally use it! I don't think it's been overused at all. I love meeting people with my name, it's always so fun. It was number 1 for my birth year, but I still love it. William is a classic, great choice. Nice on all ages, and good in both formal and informal settings. It's fun being a William.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think this name is super overrated?
Great name! Never gets old!
I have a grandfather named William and a cousin as well. One interesting and unique aspect about this moniker is on the timelessness of it. Trends might come and go, but some forenames remain for a reason.
LoL! Omg! This name reminds me of William Tell and the story of the apple, an arrow and his son! Lol.
My name is William and growing up most people called me Bill or Wills and rarely William. Unless I got into trouble with my parents, then it was a different matter entirely. ;)
I have an older brother named William and he is certainly a great guy that has always supported me and my mom when our dad left us. As for all that toxic and negative feedback, I couldn’t care less, but do enjoy the support from other kinder comments on here. :)
Even though I am not too keen on this particular name, I can at least understand the reason behind its popularity.
This name is so tiresome. I wish this name would retire for good!
I have negative associations, love the nickname Bill though. I overall prefer Wilfred.
Like every name on this site, it is associated with old men, however, it is a very good masculine name. It does not suit a wheelbarrow, though.
Wheelbarrow is just his username, he is a real person in real life, or is that a joke?
In response to the comment talking about my username (wheelbarrow4), yes. I'm a person. That's my actual name, William Barrow. Wheel Barrow was from my Elementary school years, because I go by Will. Bullies used to make fun of my name. I go from loving to hating my name, but deep down I always love it. I have confidence because I know that I'm beautiful. I think it's really handsome and that it suits me. Also, yes, in case you're wondering...I do work with wheelbarrows! I joke with my friends that I live under a wheel barrow. So, to answer your question, yes. I'm real ;)
Boring! I do like the nickname Will.
Probably one of the best male names. Classic and beautiful! Looks strong, sounds strong, just amazing!
Lovely name, guys called William are weird though, Will is nicer.
I don’t like it but I don’t dislike it either. It’s a classic.
I love this name! It is so cute and handsome and it fits a boy of any age! I would for sure recommend this name!
My name, I absolutely HATE IT. Better on other people, not me.
This is my name, and I think it's okay. It's common where I'm from, and it's common where I live.
William is also used in Sweden. I'm a Swedish bearer of the name.
Strong timeless name - 8.5/10.
William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States. Only was in office for a month because of death from sickness.
Great name! Very flexible with age I can imagine William as a child, man, and elder! Lots of nicknames to choose from, gives the kid some choice in what they want to be called.
The name William is very common in my dad's side of my family, but this is in a good way. My late grandad was called William (after his own grandad), and four years after he died, my parents had a baby boy who they named after him. So it's a special name in my family, and because of that a favourite boy's name of mine. There are also lots of important people in English history who are called William, such as William Shakespeare and, although he comes from France, William the Conqueror. I don't get why people see this name as snooty or overused; it really is a nice name.
Wow, this name is used in Scandinavia too? The letter "W" doesn't exist in those languages and it's strange that they use it.
William Stanley (Bear) Rineheart is the lead singer of the band NEEDTOBREATHE.
Very nice name.
William is as masculine as you can get - It can suit any age from a toddler through to a teenager, adult and old man, and despite stereotypes it can suit anyone from any social background.
Strong and classic - I like the nickname Billy personally so I would use that if I have a William in the future.
My name is Wiluś, not William. I like this name a lot and I get why it's popular.
I can't believe someone named their daughter William, especially since this is a very common male name used for centuries.
I like this one a lot, although I probably won’t be using it. I like the nickname Bill (you can find out why by reading my comment on that page). Also it just occurred to me that the nickname Will could be interpreted as a verb, as in “by force of will”. I think that’s a positive association!
William Franklyn Miller was declared the most handsome boy on Instagram.
William Jack Poulter.
While it's not my favorite name ever, I do love that you have a lot of options for diminutives. You can be Will, Bill, Willie, Billy, Liam, etc. It's best to give your child that option, right?
William Briden is a character in the H. P. Lovecraft story "The Call of Cthulhu". He is one of the crew members aboard the schooner Emma, which sank after encountering the steam yacht Alert, the latter being crewed by Cthulhu cult members. While escaping from Cthulhu and R'lyeh aboard the Alert, Briden looks at Cthulhu's otherworldly appearance and goes insane, laughing at intervals until dying later on.
William Channing Webb is a character in "The Call of Cthulhu" by H. P. Lovecraft. He is a professor of anthropology at Princeton University who was engaged in an expedition to discover ancient runic inscriptions in Greenland and Iceland. He failed to discover the runic inscriptions, but he encountered a group of Cthulhu cult members comprised of Inuits on the western coast of Greenland.
William is one of the strongest names a man can have, I also like the nicknames Will and Billy so you have a good choice of diminutives. Great name.
Hate this name but the nickname Will is nice. To me William is snobbish and prissy. It's the name of some creeps in my family.
Too common, I don't like it :(
Very nice name.
One of if not the strongest and one of the most classic names around, adorned by Kings, Conquerors and great men over hundreds of years (including my Grandfather Big Billy) and is still popular today, especially in the SOUTHERN US and ENGLAND, in which many of those strong characters have been from of course. This name also comes with nicknames Billy and Will, Both of which I don't mind. Would definitely consider using it for a future son PS Respect to the South from England, one thing we will have in common to this day is love for the name William.
Makes me think of William Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean. That's definitely a good thing, haha.
Great name.
Strong, classic name that will suit a male at any stage in life.
Wow! So darn hot! I have to name my kid this!
William - Strong, timeless, hero.
Just the other day, I met a lady who told me she had just named her daughter this. Words cannot express my disappointment. Please don't do that to your daughter. I can understand Willie, but why William? This is clearly a classic male name. Some masculine names can sound feminine, I see that. However, not this one.
Sounds a little old and pretentious to me. I prefer it as a middle name.
I think William is a rather common name. I have a good friend named William from acting (his mom is the director) so she named him after William Shakespeare.
Usage: English, Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern), Danish (Modern), Dutch (Modern), French (Modern)Pronounced: WIL-ee-əm (English), WIL-yəm (English), VIL-li-am (Swedish, Norwegian), VEH-lyam (Danish), VEE-LYAM (French)
William Afton, from Five Nights at Freddy's.
Thank you for stating exactly what I was thinking. William Afton, (Purple Guy), from the game/books series Five Nights at Freddy's needs to be added to fictional characters from books.
William is the name of a character in the films Snow White and the Huntsman and the Huntsman: Winter’s War. Portrayed by Sam Claflin.
Jack William Jones is the son of “Quints By Surprise” stars Ethan and Casey.
I personally love the name because I was named after my father. I am William Barrow. I have been growing up with names like "wheel barrow" (according to my name...), I used to feel hurt by it but not anymore, heck, I even used it for my username! As a person I am very shy but when I get to know you, we're friends for life. The name seems overly used but if you truly love a name, then go for it. The name means "resolute protector" even though that's great, meanings don't matter. The name is a classic, great choice.
Gosh golly do I love this name. To me, Wills are always hot and good.
LOVE Will for a nickname. Other possible nicknames include Liam and Bill/Billy. Very versatile.
To anyone who says that William is "pretentious", I completely fail to see how a name as common as William, a name borne by millions of men from all walks of life for centuries, can be "pretentious." It must be that these people think that any classic name that isn't a made-up neologism is "pretentious." SAD.
My father's and brother's name. Loathe it. To me it is ancient, smug, pretentious, foul, snobby and just plain ugly.
I think William is a great name. It sounds handsome and regal. I don't like all the nicknames, like Bill, Billy, or Willy, but I quite like Liam, and Will isn't a bad name either. A name like William will never go out of style.
I like William, he is cool.
In 2018, 63 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) William who is registered male with the Social Security Administration. It is the 6th most common male first name for living U.S. citizens.
I like the name even though my brother is annoying. I like the name and will name my child that if I liked it enough and I do know many Will's but I like to tease him and call him Billiam.
I love the name William. It has class and a long history behind it. It puts me in mind of knights and kings, of old England and Scotland. I have a lot of ancestors with the name. As a child I loved the flower Sweet-William, in the dianthus family. It's a velvety, richly saturated flower, heavily perfumed like carnation spice. I especially like that William is a real name and not some fly-by-night trendy assemblage made up to be 'yoo'neeque'. William is sure to age well. There are the nicknames, Bill, Will (my fave) and (if you must be trendy) Liam (which is a real name too). If I'd have had a boy, I'd have named him William Clark (Last Name). This name has good bones. Plus, I just like how it sounds.
I’m shocked no one has mentioned William Randolph Hearst, the American newspaper magnate.
How do you get Bill from William?
William means resolute protector and is an awesome name, and I got that name too.
Sounds pretentious, and kinda a bit boring.
I like William. The nicknames for it are good and it reminds me of a kindhearted person :)
I hope to see this name increasing in popularity.
William is, of course, extremely common, and has been for literally centuries, but it is a good name. There are a lot of possible nicknames, too: Bill, Will, Billy, Liam, etc., so there's a bit of individuality there.
This is a great name for a streaker.
William Kumpai Hosokawa was a Japanese American writer and journalist. While interned at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, he was the editor of the concentration camp's newspaper, The Heart Mountain Sentinel. After being freed from the camp in 1943, Hosokawa worked as a columnist and editor at The Denver Post for 38 years. He retired from the newspaper industry in 1992, at the age of 77.
Willian "Will" Lindsay was a bassist and guitarist for many bands including Wolves in the Throne Room, Nachtmystium, Middian, and Lord Mantis to name a few.
William Ralph "Will" Wright is an American video game designer and co-founder of the former game development company Maxis, and then part of Electronic Arts. In April 2009, he left EA to run Stupid Fun Club Camp, an entertainment think tank in which Wright and EA are principal shareholders.
William Murray "Trip" Hawkins III is an American entrepreneur and founder of Electronic Arts, The 3DO Company, and Digital Chocolate. Hawkins designed his own undergraduate major at Harvard University in Strategy and Applied Game Theory.
I personally think this name is outdated. It has many nicknames, none of which I like (Will, Willy, Liam, Bill, Billy, etc). I wouldn't use this name for my son.
William "Will" Champion is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Coldplay. William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, on 31 July 1978 and was brought up in the Highfield suburb of the city, close to the University of Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology; his mother, Sarah Champion, was also an archaeologist.
William Lai, also known by his romanised name Lai Ching-te, is a Taiwanese politician and the incumbent mayor of Tainan. He took office on 25 December 2010, after the municipality was created from the merger of Tainan City and Tainan County. He served as a legislator in the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2010.
Popular in Netherlands (Willem is original form).
William Worrall Mayo was a British-American medical doctor and chemist. He is best known for establishing the private medical practice that later evolved into the Mayo Clinic. He was a descendant of a famous English chemist, John Mayow. His sons, William James Mayo and Charles Horace Mayo, established a joint medical practice in Rochester in the U.S. state of Minnesota in the 1880s.
Denmark, Norway, English and Sweden.
This name is overused and plain especially with the nickname Billy or Liam. It is also rather timeless, but do you really want your child to be one or six William's in his kindergarten class? At least it's not Liam.
Yes, William is high in rank, but its percentage of use is the lowest is has ever been, and much, much lower than it was in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A William born today is NOT going to be "one of six Williams in his class". My son William was born in 1986 and he was not one of six Williams in his class. As he was growing up, I encountered only one other William of his age, and later I met another William about my son's age, and that's it. There is a difference between rank and percentage. By rank, William has not fallen, but by percentage, it has fallen dramatically.
William, to me, is a timeless name. One of my absolute favorites, and I adore the nickname Will for it.
William Woods.
I personally like this name. Because not only is it classy, but it fits me really well in my opinion. And I like how my father based my full name on his middle name and his Grandfather's name and my cousin's first name. It's really sweet of him. Its characteristics describe me fairly. Not fully, but fairly.
I have a best friend named William. He's what you'd think a William is: strong, athletic, and funny. Great name overall.
This is a family name to me and I love it. It's a classic, timeless name and I like Will as a nickname. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with the name William. Just great.
William is one of those awesome names that's really old, yet never seems to age. I can imagine it on men of all ages, all throughout history.
Axl Rose was born William Bruce Rose, Jr.
William just makes me think "weak" when I hear it, I guess that's from watching Horrid Henry as a child. There was a kid on there called Weepy or Wimpy William that was always crying. But apart from that I think it sounds like a nice strong name and would consider it when naming something. The nickname Will sounds nice, not sure about Willie though.
My brother's name is William, and both my grandfather and great grandfather's names are William. I like it, but suggest this be used as a middle name.
This has got to be one of the best boys names out there, sounds so smart and sophisticated!
Not my favorite name by a long shot; in fact, I think this may be my least favorite "timeless classic" name, simply because it bores me so much more than the others do. Strangely enough, I actually love the nickname Will, because it makes me think of someone with a strong will. So, while I admit I heavily dislike William, I wouldn't have a problem with it if you decided to name your son William and call him Will, ha ha.
I love this name, such a classic.
One of my favourite names. The media says it's outdated but to me it's a timeless classic even though it's old fashoined.
William is truly a timeless name. No wonder it's been so popular throughout the decades.
I like the name William, I don't think it's overused. It's common but it's no Bob, Tom or John. I also like how there are a lot of nickname options for it such as Bill, Will and Liam, which is my favourite. My grandfather's name is William and I think it suits him very well. It will never go out of style, a true classic.
William is my favourite name for a boy, it's strong, masculine, easy to spell and pronounce and it sounds classy and sophisticated and looks cute on a baby and a little kid, but mature on a grown man. I love this name!
Sir William Maddock Bayliss was a famous English physiologist who made some important discoveries about the digestive system in the early 1900's. He is actually one of my third or fourth cousins on my father's side, and before I was married we shared a surname!
In the film "The Patriot", Colonel William Tavington is the tall, dark and handsome villain, played by Jason Isaacs. He is cruel, evil and ruthless, but sexy nonetheless ;) It's one of my favorite films, and the character is intriguing.
William is a great name and definitely not overused anymore, but it's still quite a popular boys name.Bearing in mind Prince William will eventually become king and that will make the name even more common than it is now.I personally love the name William which means resolute and protector.
I can't stand this name. Boring and overused.
Even though it has been incredibly overused for a while now. I can't help but kind of like this name.
William the great, prince William. It's very regal. And can be shortened to many other good names, Bill, Will, Billy for a girl. I like it. Very old fashioned and a lot of thought goes into that name or it is passed down from father to son and so on.
I always think of people who are self-assured, pretentious, and have a false sense of entitlement when I hear or read this name. An easy winner for those who are scared of being different, similar to the surname 'King'.
I used to not think much of this name until I watched a Youtube friend play a computer game where it was later revealed that this William was actually the antagonist. Since then, I would always get excited whenever I see this name in general, thus becoming one of my most favorite male names. I don't mind about any of the shortened versions because it reminds me of William, but I much prefer the full name. Whenever I feel like getting married in the future, I sure hope to find a spouse who bears this name; even if they go by any of the shorter variants, I'm still going to call them William. :)
"If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country -- Victory or Death."Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis wrote this famous letter requesting help at the Alamo in February 24, 1836, which never happened aside from maybe a few soldiers who came under their own will from Sam Houston's fleet.
Classic name but boring and overused.
William S. Burroughs (1914-1997) was an American writer, known for stream-of-consciousness writing in books such as "The Naked Lunch."
William is such a nice, handsome, masculine name. It ages well and has so many good nickname options: Will, Bill, Billy, Liam... I wouldn't call a William "Willy/Willie", though, for an obvious, organ-related reason.
William Jack "Will" Poulter is an English actor, notable for his role as Eustace Scrubb in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
This is a marvelous, charming, handsome, strong, fine, classy and respectable name. I like the nicknames "Wim" and "Will"! =)
One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was named William Williams. I don't know what his parents were thinking.
William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor in Doctor Who and also appeared in several Carry On films (including the first one).Also, William Russell, who played First Doctor companion Ian Chesterton, who was originally a science teacher, but eventually became chairman of the school's (Coal Hill) board.
William Dunbar is one of the protagonists in Code Lyoko.
Louis Tomlinson's middle name is William. He's a member of British boy band One Direction.
Best male name ever.
I don't like this name. It reminds me of a handsome but egotistical young British guy. The nicknames are all awful too.
A good, classic boys name. Far superior to the other crap that being given to kids these days.
Actors Willem Dafoe (born William J. Dafoe in 1955), Liam Neeson (born William John Neeson in 1952) and Brad Pitt (born William Bradley Pitt in 1963) bear the name. William was the middle name of Fast & Furious star Paul Walker (Paul William Walker IV 1973-2013).
This name will never fade away, its so lovely.
It has a nice sound and its very masculine.
Its mature and yet has a young feel to it!
I love this name.
This is my top pick for when I have a son. This name is absolutely timeless and I've never had any bad experiences with it. I know one William who goes by 'Liam' and while I love that name, too, my William will be William. No nicknames. Why shorten such a nice name?
This is my top pick for when I have a son. This name is absolutely timeless and I've never had any bad experiences with it. I know one William who goes by 'Liam' and while I love that name, too, my William will be William. No nicknames. Why shorten such a nice name?
I don't particularly like the name, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it either. Will and Liam are nice nicknames and even Willie doesn't sound too bad. I however cannot stand Billy and Bill. Those nicknames seem to be less common now, though. Most younger Williams go by Will.
The Just William books by Richmal Crompton.
I love the name William! I like the nicknames Will and Billy, but I hate Bill. It reminds me of an old man. It'd be way better if people named their kids William and called them Liam than using it as a full name, it just sounds kind of childish and trendy to me. But I'm glad to see William is #3!
This is my favorite male name. It is my brother's, father's, and grandfather's name. I think it's a very strong, classic name. My brother goes by Liam and my grandpa went by Billy. I also love Will as a nickname for William. William has a good history and is associated with a lot of strong characters. I think Francis and Patrick are good middle names for William.
American actor James Marsden welcomed a son named William Luca Marsden on December 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
The Middel High German name of William is not correctly spelled; it is Willehalm, also the title of an epic poem by Wolfram von Eschnbach.
William Hall Macy, Jr. (born 1950 in Miami, Florida) is an American actor.
William McChord Hurt (born 1950 in Washington, D.C.) is an American actor.
William Clement Frawley (born 1887 in Burlington, Iowa) was an American actor.
An overused and boring name.
Don't use the name because pretty soon prince William is going to be king and a lot of people are going to use this name and it's going to be popular.
William is a dumb, overused white person name. It has too many annoying bearers, such as stupid actor William Zabka and snobbish royal Prince William.
William (1689-1700) was the oldest son of Queen Anne of Great Britain and her husband Prince George of Denmark.
William (1721-1765) was the son of King George II of Great Britain and his wife Caroline.
William was the name of one of the sons of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainaut.
William was the son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainaut.
William (1765-1837) was the third son of King George III of the UK and his wife Charlotte. He later became King William IV.
William was the son of King Stephen of England and his wife Matilda.
William IX, Count of Poitiers (1153-1156) was the oldest son of King Henry II of England and his wife Eleonore of Aquitaine. He died age 2.
William II (1056-1100), King of England from 1087 until 1100, son of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders.
William Henry "Bill" Gates III (born 1955 in Seattle, Washington) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the current chairman of Microsoft.
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma) is an American actor.
William Hurt (born 1950 in Washington, DC) is an American actor.
William "Bill" Paxton (born 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American actor and film director.
William H. Macy (born 1950 in Miami, Florida) is an American actor.
William Brodrick is a British author known for the Father Anselm Mysteries.
Popular boys name, but still one of my favourites.
I adore this name. It's strong, timeless and has a good set of nicknames (Will, Bill, Billy and Liam), and definitely one I'd consider for a future son. The only problem with the name would be "willy" jokes, but that can easily be avoided if he goes by Bill or Liam.
William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) was an American painter.
I really just don't care for the sound of this name... I mean, I see why it's so popular as it is a classic and seems strong. And I like mostly strong classic names for boys, William is almost the only exception that I can think of.
I never liked the name William for reasons unknown to me until I met a very very nice middle aged man named this who actually went by William and not one of it's many nicknames. It's grown on me since, but ONLY the full version. None of the nicknames sound appealing to me. Will is a word, Willy synonym for penis and I've just met to many not so friendly Bill and Billys. There's always Liam, I suppose. But that's another name I just never liked.
Sir William Burrel (1861-1958) was a Scottish art collector.
William de Brailes was an English manuscript illuminator in the 1200s.
Willaim Bouguereau (1825-1905) was a French painter who in 1850 won the Prix de Rome.
William Behnes (1795-1864) was an English sculptor who made the statue Sir Henry Havelock, 1861, in Trafalgar Square, London.
William Baziotes (June 11, 1912 – June 6, 1963) was an American painter influenced by Surrealism and was a contributor to Abstract Expressionism.
William Thomas Beckford (1760-1844) was an English collector, writer and eccentric. At the age of 5 he had piano lessons from the 8 year old Mozart.
Sir Henry William Beechey (1753-1839) was an English portrait painter.
I seem to be the only one that doesn't care for this name. Nothing wrong with it, I just can't put my finger on what I don't like about it. It's a nice, strong name that will age well though and has many nickname options. My favorite nickname for William is "Liam".
It's a nice, classic name, but it's not very pleasant sounding. It sounds so soft and chess-club-type. Not to mention the popularity.
I love William - it's a classic name but I hate all of the nicknames! So much so that it would put me off using the name.
Sir William Allan (1782-1850) was a Scottish historical painter.
We're naming our son William after his dad and grandpa. I've liked William since before hubby, so it's awesome. We'll call him Liam though. Unless, of course, he's in trouble.
William Tell -the Swiss national hero.
William Moseley. He played Peter in the Narnia films.
The Duke of Caimbridge (June 21, 1982-)
Sir William Sterndale Bennett (13 April 1816 – 1 February 1875) was an English composer of the Romantic period.
William Peter Blatty (b. 7 January 1928) is an American author, best known for his novel "The Exorcist" (1971), which was made into an Academy Award-winning film in 1973.
My baby's name is Andrew William. I was thinking of giving him the first name William, but he didn't look like a William when I first saw him. He still doesn't. It's a handsome name though. I especially like the nickname Will.
I love this name, but I don't like the nicknames Bill or Billy. I like the nicknames Will and Liam, though.
I have a friend named William and he NEVER goes by "Bill" or any other nickname. I call him Will on occasion. He is so hilarious and has the biggest smile on his face! :) It's a very classy name and it was my paternal Grandfather's name.
The real name of the character of the vampire Spike on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel' was William (when he was human).
This is my father's name. Everyone calls him 'Wid.' It's not as bad as Will, Billy, Bill, etc. but William is still WAY overused and oldfashioned, too much for my liking.
A famous bearer is American actor William Hurt (born 20 March 1950). He's best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in the film "Kiss of the Spider Woman", as well as addition nominations for "Children of a Lesser God", "Broadcast News", and more recently in "A History of Violence".
William is a solid name, and happens to be stringed throughout my genealogy. I'm not sure which ancestor I got it from, but I'm glad I have it.If "Wil" means "will or desire" and "helm" means "helmet or protection," it could be taken to mean "desired protection" or "willing protector." Helm is interesting, because one of the most important things to protect is the head and more importantly the mind. When I think of my name, William, it means to me the will and desire to protect not only others, but also myself by keeping my thoughts, words, and actions in line with my religious beliefs in Jesus Christ.
This is one of the few "long" names that I like both as it is and as a nickname-- "Will". Most long names I like as is but not the nicknames for them. I might use this name someday.
I understand why William never falls out of style. Personally, I like it for the great literary connotations.
William Kidd (Captain Kidd) was a famous English privateer accused of turning pirate. He was tried and executed for piracy. In the 20th century, evidence that could of cleared him was found mis-filed in London archives. I read this in a book, "The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd" by Richard Zachs.
One bearer is William Blake, an English poet and artist.
No one has mentioned William Birkin of the Resident Evil series. He's one of my favorite villains ever. I like the name, too!
William Žabka, he was born 20th October 1965, New York City, New York, USA. William's surname is pronounced "ZHAB-kah". His surname means "little frog".
William Pitt was the youngest prime minister in England's history; he worked closely with William Wilberforce for the abolition of the slave trade.
William Shatner is most famous for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series of the late 1960's as well as several Star Trek movies later. His dramatic style is simultaneously respected as a classic character performance and parodied as campy and overdone. He currently can be seen in Priceline commercials.
William Thatcher is the main character in the movie "A Knight's Tale", based on the famed story "The Knight's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales".
A famous bearer of the name is actor William Powell.
William "Billy" Corgan Jr., the vocalist and guitarist of the Smashing Pumpkins, bears this name.
William Beckett, lead singer for The Academy Is... (1985-)
Christa Miller and Bill Lawrence have a son William Lawrence, who was born on 3rd January, 2003.
A good, strong, wholesome name for a little boy.
Number 11 for boys in 2005. I love this name, and I also like the nickname Will.
Love the name - a very stong, proud (in the good sense) name. Always sounds classic.
After William the Conqueror came around, about one in four boys in England were named after him.
Dreadfully boring and overused! Bah! This must be the name of hundreds of thousands of men who were unwanted children. Parents either pick this name in honor of a relative or a famous person, which can be one way of getting it over with as fast as possible, or because they don't feel like wasting time thinking about the name of that little creature that they feel is only a burden anyway. Fair enough, this is not a bad name at all. It's just that it's not exactly an imaginative choice. There are already far too many Bills, Billys, Wills, etc. Many of these people are obnoxious. Think Bill Donoghue. He's utterly obnoxious. So is Bill Bryson. Come to think of it, I can't think of a William I like.
Your comment was offensive and ridiculous. It's fine to say that William is boring, which is an opinion, and overused, which is a fact. But to go on from there and say that any baby named William is unwanted? It's ridiculous and insulting. Some people want to honor relatives, some people aren't into names, some people think a common name is best, and some people just like the name William. This doesn't mean their sons weren't wanted. My son is named William after his father, and he was very much a wanted child, thank you very much.
In the stage musical 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee', William Barfee is the name of a competitor. In the initial 2005 Broadway production, the character was portrayed by Dan Fogler. Fogler won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the role, the only cast member to win.
In the movie "The Patriot" the main character's youngest son's name is William, but I do not know who plays him in the movie. I like this name.
A true classic name, I couldn't help but name my son this.
Actors Mary-Louise Parker and Billy Crudup have a son William Crudup, born 7 January 2004.
Actors Parker Stevenson & Kirstie Allen have a son William Parker (1992).
I was more or less forced to name my son William because my husband had his heart set on naming his son William IV. (He was William III.) It wasn't what I would have chosen on my own. I felt that it had been way too common for so many centuries but I did think that it had fallen out of style in recent years. So I'm surprised to see by the popularity chart that it has never been out of the top twenty! I am happy to see all the positive comments about it on this site and I have to say that I do agree with them now. The name has grown on me over the past twenty-one years (the age my son is now.) Our William goes by Will. He likes his name and I can't imagine him having any other now.
William is Bill Weasley's real name. I love this name, in my opinion. It sounds formal, and yet simple. Perfect, really.
Fitzwilliam Darcy is the man who is madly in love with Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austen's Novel "Pride and Prejudice".
I think this name is very nice and strong. I really like the nicknames Will or Willy/Willie for William. However, I don't like the nicknames Bill or Billy. No wonder it has been so popular throughout the years.
William's earlier non-Norman form, Wilhelm, was present in England long before the Norman conquest and can be found in the Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies, so I think it's slightly misleading to say the name was introduced by the Normans.
William Bradford (1590-1657) was one of America's founding fathers. He was governor of the colony of Plymouth and had a reputaion for dealing fairly with both colonists and Indians.
My husband is called William and it was my favorite man's name before I met him. If we have a son we'd also call him William. He gets called Will a lot though. One of his friends calls him Bill which I think is horrid!
William H. Bonney AKA Henry McCarty AKA Billy The Kid is perhaps the most well known outlaw in American history and his death is still being investigated to this day.
I really like this name. It seems like one of those names that will never go out of style. I think William and Alexander would make a good sibset. I never liked the nickname Billy before (just Will or Liam), but I recently met a boy whose name was shortened to Billy, and since then I've liked it a lot, since he is quite an intriguing character. It's also very fun to say "William Turner!". :)
A famous bearer is William Wilberforce who abolished slavery in Great Britain.
I can't believe nobody has mentioned William Thomas Riker, first officer of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Riker is a good man, but rather stubborn. He seems to be a woman magnet as well, but he ends up with Deanna Troi.
Prince William the Silent of Orange-Nassau was born is the 1530s and was said to have liberated the Dutch from Spain. The Holland national anthem is written about him.
William Beckett is the front man of The Academy Is.
William is Brad Pitt's real first name.
Famous Danish-American actor is William Petersen (Grissomek from CSI).
William Jones is a main character in the obscure manga Victorian Romance Emma.
I really like this name, it's strong, masculine and a timeless classic.I have an Uncle called William though he prefers to be called Bill. I also have a 6 year old cousin called William who is very loud and full of energy and his name suits him prefectly.
This is my uncle's name and my great-grandfather's name. I really like this name; it's very strong and masculine and I like the short form Will. It reminds me of a handsome man with black hair and ice-blue eyes!
Emeraldstar, that's funny! Both my dad and grandpa had black hair and ice blue eyes and are - or in grandpa Bill's case, were - named William. It's my little brother's name, too, but he had brown eyes like Mom.
William "Will" Turner is from Pirates of the Carribean.
William is a great name for a boy. A true classic. I don't like most of the nicknames for this name, I would either keep it as William or Will or maybe Liam but that's it.
Classic name that will never burn out. It is smart and fun. I prefer Will over Bill as a nickname. Good name!
Another famous bearer is explorer William Clark.
My dad's name is William but goes by Bill. I prefer the nickname Will for this name. I don't particulary like any of the other nicknames for it.
4 famous bearers are presidents: William H. Taft, William Henry Harrison, William "Bill" Clinton, and William McKinley.
I don't really have an opinion about this name, but I think it is too grown-up sounding for a baby! I prefer the nickname Will to Bill, but Billy to Willy. A family I know with lots of Williams on both the maternal and paternal sides got the suggestion to nickname their baby Liam, which I thought was a good idea.
Thankfully, a person is a baby for very little of his actual life! I wish more people would remember that when giving their children names.I like the nicknames Will and Liam, but not Bill, Billy, or Willie. I also love William by itself.
William Moseley who plays Peter Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a famous bearer of the name.
William Moseley is a great actor and I hope to see more of him soon!
Famous bearer is William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States.
Famous bearer is William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States.
Famous bearer is William Wordsworth, a British romantic poet.
William was the name of the first Lycan (werewolf) in the "Underworld" movies.
William is the name of the lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas.
Wilhelm Rontgen, the man who discovered X-Rays, bore a more etymologically correct form of this name.
William Shakespeare is a famous bearer! I'm proud of my self because I remember that. :-D
William is a good name for an old man, whereas Billy sounds more like a little boy.
Well, William is a family name on my mother's side in each generation at least twice for the past 100 years or so. It is my brother's middle name along with my cousin, uncle and gradfather. My mother's name is Wiliamson so The traditionally family name is William Bryant Wiliamson, as the oldest of my mother's children it has carried to me to name my future son William. I think it is a good name but a little overused, and I don't like the nickname Billy, Bill or Will.
William T. Sherman was a Union General in the American Civil War.
Clark Gable's birth name was William Clark Gable.
Famous bearer is Prince William of England of course! The future king.
William V is probably the name that will be used by the actual Prince William of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor), when he becomes King of Canada.
I have a son named Justin William and I think it is a very strong name. He is also very nice looking. Both the names are beautiful.
As bearer of this name I have looked up its meaning on a number of different occasions. The most common definition I have found is "protector" which really appeals to me. I am the eldest child of three, and I have always found it to be my duty to protect my younger brother and sister. I am also very protective of other family members and close friends. I've always wondered if my name has had some sort of affect upon my character, or if my personality just happened to coincide with the name's meaning.As a bit of a side note, Brad Pitt’s first name is actually William. I don’t really know what that has to do with anything, but I thought that was kind of neat.
Such a great name, it will never go out of style. It has a very strong and respectable connotation, I always think of Prince William!
The great Will Smith is named, "William". He is awesome.
One very famous person who bore this name was William Wallace the great Scotish hero.
I think William is a great name. It's simple and dignified. It was also the name of my late maternal grandfather. He was a great guy, and I've decided to name my first son after him.
Justice William Rehnquist, who recently passed away, bore this name. Justice Rehnquist was a United States jurist who served as an associate justice in the U.S. Surpreme Court from 1972 to 1986, when he was appointed chief justice (born 1924).
My Father's name was William and it is a very strong masculine name. Very dignified. I think it is a great name.
I knew a man named William, and he said that the name meant "Great Protector", and I think that is a worthwhile goal to live up to! When I think of the name William, I think of someone strong, yet tender and kind. A man with honor, integrity, and valor!
I love this name. It reminds me of a strong, good-willed person, though it sounds kind of fancy. But it's still one of my favorite names.
What a great name, it will never get old.
In the US, often pronounced in two syllables (not three) as WILL-yum or WILL-yem. [noted -ed]

Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.

Add a Comment