William
Pronounced W AH0 L L IY1 AH0 M (ARPABET)
- 3 syllables
- Peaked 1947
- 145 years in use
- 2 spellings
How popular is William?
William is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 4,208,687 children — the 5th most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 26% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1947, when 67,011 children were given it.
Two other spellings are counted in that total — Wiliam and Willliam — because they are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to William and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Wiliam
- Willliam
Nicknames
Characteristics
- 3 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- W AH0 L L IY1 AH0 M · W IH1 L L IY1 AH0 M · W IH1 L Y AH0 M
- Stress pattern:
- 010 · 110 · 10
- Syllables:
- 3
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like William
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for William
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name William?
- William ranks 5th among boys' names in US records, with 4,208,687 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 132,937.
- Is William a unisex name?
- No. William is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was William most popular?
- 1947, when 67,011 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for William?
- Bill, Billy, Will, Willie. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is William spelled?
- Wiliam, Willliam. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.