Names / Boy names
William
Current rank
#9
and easing
All-time peak
#2
in 1920
First recorded
1880
in U.S. data
Children named
4.2 million
since 1880
Popularity over time
Annual U.S. children given the name · Peak #2 in 1920 · Source: Social Security Administration
Meaning & background
Recorded as a boys' name, William was first recorded in 1880. Today it sits at #9 and is drifting lower. Its strongest year was 1920, at #2 nationally. More than 4.2 million children have been given the name overall.