William - Names
Meaning of the name William
Gender:
Male
Meaning:
‘willing to protect’ (from Germanic: Wilahelm; will-: ‘will’ , -helm: ‘protection, helmet’)
History & etymology:
The name Wiliam was derived from Old High German Willahelm via Old French (Willaume).
In England, the name William became extremely popular after the Norman Conquest in honour of William the Conqueror. Since then, it had been the most popular name given to boys in England until it got declassed by John in the late Middle Ages.
The best known patron saint of the name is William of Gellone, also known as William of Aquitaine, born around AD 755 in Northern France. He was the Count of Toulouse and a cousin of Charlemagne, with whom he fought against the Muslim forces. Later he retired to a monastery in Gellone, where he spent the rest of his life.
St. William’s feast day is celebrated on 28th May.
Alternative spellings & nicknames:
Variant: Wilhelm
Diminutives: Liam, Wil, Will, Willy, Willie, Bil, Billie, Billy
Similar names in other languages & name days:
Austria
28th May: Wilhelm
Czech Republic
28th May: Vilém
Estonia
28th February: Vilmo
6th April: Villem
5th June: Vilimo
Finland
6th April: Vilhelm
3rd December: Vellamo
Germany
6th April: William
28th May: Wilhelm
Italy
7th May: Villano
Poland
10th January, 6th April, 28th May, 8th June, 24th June, 25th June, 5th July, 2nd September: Wilhelm
Spain
11th January, 10th Februar, 25th Juney: Guilermo
USA
28th May: William, Willie, Willis, Wilson, Liam
Catalan: Guillem
Dutch: Wilhelmus, Willem, Wim
Icelandic: Vilhjálmur
Italian: Guglielmo
Portuguese: Guilherme
Welsh: Gwilym, Gwil, Gwilim, Gwillym
Famous people named William:
William Beckett (1985-) - American rock singer
William Blake (1757 - 1827) - English poet and philosopher
William Brent (1995-) - American actor
William S. Burroughs (1914 - 1997) - American writer and poet
William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939) - Irish poet and dramatist
William Clark (1770-1838) - American explorer
William Daniels (1927-) - American actor
William Faulkner (1897 - 1962) - American writer
William Franklyn-Miller (2004-) - English actor
William Hartnell (1908 - 1975) - English actor
William H. Harrison (1773 - 1841) - US President
William Haynes (1993-) - American YouTube star
William Levy (1980-) - Cuban actor
William H. Macy (1950-) - American actor
William McKinley (1843 - 1901) - US President
William Moseley (1987-) - English actor
William Roache (1932-) - English soap opera actor
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) - English dramatist
William Shatner (1931-) - Canadian actor
William Sherman (1820 - 1891) - Union General in the American Civil War
William Singe (1992-) - Welsh pop singer
William H. Taft (1857 - 1930) - US President
William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850) - English poet
William the Conqueror (1028 - 1087) - first Norman King of England
William Tell - 14th century Swiss hero
William Wallace - 13th century Scottish hero
Fun facts:
Popularity (2015)
USA: 5th
England and Wales: 8th
Canada: 9th
Australia: 2nd
New Zealand: 3rd
Northern Ireland: 49th
Ireland: 51st
Scotland: 32nd
Belgium: 42nd
Denmark: 1st
France: 88th
Netherlands: 121st
Norway: 1st
Portugal: 80th
Sweden: 1st
Lucky colors: green, teal
Lucky stone: Emerald
Ruling planet: the Sun
Characteristics: charming, charismatic, hot-headed, brave, adventurous, resilient