Baby Name Popularity Profile

William

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for William.

✦ Resolute protector 🌍 German traditional royal
National Rank (2025) #9
All-Time Peak Rank #2 Achieved 1880
Total U.S. Births 4,199,696 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.9% Boy / 0.1% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1950s 67,002 births in 1947
πŸ’‘ The William Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Resolute protector
Language Origin German
Origin Type single
Derived from Germanic elements *wil* 'will, desire' and *helm* 'helmet, protection'.
Common Nicknames
Will Liam Billy Bill
Pronunciation: WIL-yΙ™m
Themes & Categories
traditional royal
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind William

According to SSA data, William achieved its highest historical rank of #2 in 1880. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1947 with 67,002 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 33.9%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of William across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -33.9% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 67,002 births in 1947
Years in Top 100 146 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Very Stable
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 84,881
1890s: 72,244
1900s: 69,320
1910s: 303,017
1920s: 512,402
1930s: 416,730
1940s: 556,478
1950s: 591,228
1960s: 421,433
1970s: 283,401
1980s: 248,277
1990s: 217,822
2000s: 194,415
2010s: 159,981
2020s: 68,067

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Wil-liam
Letter Count 7 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 54.1% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 54.1% of SSA names. Starts with W, a letter used by only 1.1% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with William.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Delaware
Top States Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, West Virginia, South Carolina
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Delaware #34 13,977 1958 30.0% Decline
District of Columbia #5 29,316 1947 31.7% Decline
Kentucky #10 106,224 1924 30.0% Decline
West Virginia #14 56,310 1947 29.5% Decline
South Carolina #3 84,441 1947 4.9% Decline
Tennessee #6 121,292 1947 17.3% Decline
Alabama #2 104,361 1947 10.1% Decline
Pennsylvania #14 303,784 1947 10.9% Decline
Virginia #7 128,158 1947 17.5% Decline
North Carolina #4 161,929 1947 6.2% Decline
Maryland #6 82,241 1947 15.5% Decline
Rhode Island #26 19,421 1947 34.2% Decline
Massachusetts #9 127,200 1947 17.4% Decline
Mississippi #2 64,646 1947 9.4% Decline
Wyoming #3 6,823 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #12 54,902 1947 24.0% Decline
Georgia #3 138,034 1947 14.9% Decline
New Jersey #34 133,803 1947 28.6% Decline
Montana #3 14,645 1917 1.9% Decline
Arkansas #8 49,811 1925 18.8% Decline
Ohio #7 206,405 1947 9.1% Decline
Vermont #15 7,583 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #7 96,433 1923 18.1% Decline
New York #21 325,455 1947 13.7% Decline
Alaska #6 5,775 1955 Stable
Illinois #14 201,081 1947 28.0% Decline
Indiana #11 95,817 1951 21.3% Decline
New Hampshire #11 12,395 1947 15.2% Decline
Michigan #11 143,624 1947 15.2% Decline
Oklahoma #11 50,423 1921 15.9% Decline
Maine #9 16,137 1947 +13.2% Growth
Kansas #8 37,865 1924 3.2% Decline
Nebraska #8 25,037 1951 24.5% Decline
Iowa #14 44,345 1951 35.6% Decline
Wisconsin #11 65,688 1951 26.1% Decline
Hawaii #17 10,021 1955 3.4% Decline
Idaho #7 12,585 1920 9.5% Decline
Florida #28 106,957 1957 8.5% Decline
South Dakota #8 10,542 1922 +5.1% Growth
Oregon #9 27,629 1952 29.9% Decline
Colorado #8 36,132 1948 3.4% Decline
Washington #11 48,028 1951 14.0% Decline
Minnesota #7 53,276 1952 11.7% Decline
Louisiana #7 51,713 1951 18.6% Decline
North Dakota #19 9,566 1916 3.3% Decline
Texas #21 185,794 1953 14.4% Decline
Utah #8 19,705 2015 29.4% Decline
Nevada #50 7,709 2003 26.5% Decline
New Mexico #29 12,139 1953 2.5% Decline
California #47 221,142 1954 30.3% Decline
Arizona #28 24,932 1952 6.7% Decline

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
Robert Charles James John Richard Freddie Fredric Lawayne Lyndell Linwood
πŸ‘§ Sister Suggestions
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Demographic & Volume Peers
Wilhelm Willaim Wendell Windell Waddell Wisdom Willem Waseem Willam Wm
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