WILLIAM
William is a surname of Germanic origin. Its early appearance in English records dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, in which it is listed among the surnames of the landholding population.
The surname is derived from the personal name William, itself formed from the Old Germanic elements wil meaning “desire” and helm meaning “helmet” or “protection.” When adopted as a surname it generally signified a descendant of a person named William or, in a patronymic sense, “son of William.”
Over the centuries the name has been spelt in more than two hundred forms across Europe, reflecting linguistic diversity. Notable variants include Wilhelm and Wilham in German; William, Williams, Welliam, Gilliam and Gwilliam in English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh contexts; Guilaume, Willaume and Willeme in French; Guillermo and Guillen in Spanish; and Vielmi, Vigietti, Biglietti and Lemmo in Italian.
The surname entered England and Scotland with the Norman Conquest of 1066 and was adopted by four subsequent English monarchs. Following the accession of King William I in 1066, the name became the most popular personal name in Britain, and with the creation of hereditary surnames from the twelfth century it rose to equal popularity as a family name. The earliest recorded instance of the surname in England is that of Richard William, dated 1279 in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire.
Throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era, the surname William was borne by many notable individuals. One remarkable example cited in historical records is the family formerly known as Williams, who held extensive estates in Wales before their name was changed to Cromwell under the direction of King Henry V. The family’s association with the surname illustrates the fluidity of patronymic identities during periods of political change.
Typical given names associated with the William surname
Male
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jean
- Joan
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maxine
- Sarah
- Susan
- Sylvia
- Tracey
- Victoria
- Wendy
Similar and related surnames
- Gilliam
- Gilliatt
- Guilliam
- Tilson
- Woolcock
- Wilcockson
- Wilkinson
- Wilkins
- Wilkin
- Wilcock
- Willcock
- Willcocks
- Wilcox
- Wilkie
- Willcox
- Wille
- Wilcoxon
- Wiliam
- Wiilliams
- Wiiliams
- Whilliams
- Willia
- Williama
- Williame
- Whillam
- Wilam
- Wiliams
- Wiliiams
- Wililiams
- Wilim
- Willam
- Williaman
- Williamas
- Williames
- Williamis
- Williamon
- Williams
- Williamsn
- Willian
- Willians
- Williany
- Willias
- Willieme
- Williiams
- Willim
- Willimas
- Willliams
- Willyams
- Wilyams
- Wyllyams
- Willaims
- Willams
- Willem
- Willham
- Willi
- Williamott
- Williamsen
- Williamsom
- Williamson
- Williats
- Williatt
- Willifame
- Willilams
- Williman
- Willims
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname William in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 2,014 people named William in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,197th most common surname in Britain. Around 31 in a million people in Britain are named William.
Famous people named William
- Prince William, Duke of Cambridge - Member of the British royal family
- William - King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover (1765 to 1837)
- Wilhelm II or William, German Emperor - German Emperor and King of Prussia (1859 to 1941)
- Prince William, Duke of Gloucester - Son of Queen Anne (1689 to 1700)
- William - Prince of Orange, King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1650 to 1702)
- William, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam - Politician (1872 to 1943)
- William - Comedian
- William - Northern Irish football player
- Alfred William - Alfred William
- David William - Canadian actor (1926 to 2010)
- Major-General William - Army officer
- Professor Robert William - Classical philologist (1949 to 2010)
- William - Scottish physicist (1922 to 2003)
- Professor William - Mathematician (1934 to 2006)
- Walter William - Cricketer (1912 to 1972)
- Bob William - Cricketer
- George Henry William, George Williams - Professional football player, born 1897 (1897 to 1957)
- Maurice William - Cricketer (1916 to 1)
- Henry William - Cricketer (1909 to 1979)
- William - Cricketer and football player (1867 to 1912)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.