William at a glance
- Meaning
- “will helmet”
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Germanic
- Pronunciation
- WIL-yum
- Nicknames
- Will, Bill, Billy, Liam
- Other forms
- Wilhelm, Guillaume, Guillermo, Liam
Where the name William comes from
William comes from Germanic words for “will, desire” and “helmet, protection”. It arrived with William the Conqueror and the Normans in 1066 and soon became one of the most common names in England. Four kings have had the name, and today Prince William carries it.
Famous people named William
- William Shakespeare (playwright)