William is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, Wales. It is 7 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: William
No. of characters: 7
Origin: Ireland, Wales
Meaning:

It is the parent of a greater number of surnames than any other baptismal appellation. The following are the chief derivatives:- Fitz-William, Mac-William, Ap-William, Williams, Williamson, Wills, Willes, Wilks, Wilkes, Wilkin, Wilkins, Wilkie, Wilkinson, Wickens, Wickeson, Wickerson, Willson and Wilson, Willcock and Wilcocke, Willcocks, Woolcock, Wilcox, Wilcockson, Wilcoxon , Willet, Willott, Willatts, Wilmot, Willmott, Willomat, Willy and Willey, Willé, Willis. Also Bill, Bilson, and Bill An old provincial nickname of William is Till,—whence Tilson, Tillott, Tillotson, Tilly, and Tillie. Guilliam, Gilliam, Guillim, Gillett, Gillott, and Gilliat are also from this fecund source, as well as numerous continental surnames, which, though found in our directories, can hardly as yet be reckoned as naturalized amongst us. This Christian name has produced many offshoots in France. M. de Gerville remarks: "Of Guilleaume, or Villeaume, we have formed Guillot, Guillotte, Guillard, Villot, Villard, Guillemin, Villemain, Guillemette, Guilmard, Guilmot, Guilmoto, and Guillemino."

The family name William is variant form of Quilliams. A strongly aspirated form of Williams.

The form of Guilliam. See William - It is the parent of a greater number of surnames than any other baptismal appellation. The following are the chief derivatives:- Fitz-William, Mac-William, Ap-William, Williams, Williamson, Wills, Willes, Wilks, Wilkes, Wilkin, Wilkins, Wilkie, Wilkinson, Wickens, Wickeson, Wickerson, Willson and Wilson, Willcock and Wilcocke, Willcocks, Woolcock, Wilcox, Wilcockson, Wilcoxon , Willet, Willott, Willatts, Wilmot, Willmott, Willomat, Willy and Willey, Willé, Willis. Also Bill, Bilson, and Bill An old provincial nickname of William is Till,—whence Tilson, Tillott, Tillotson, Tilly, and Tillie. Guilliam, Gilliam, Guillim, Gillett, Gillott, and Gilliat are also from this fecund source, as well as numerous continental surnames, which, though found in our directories, can hardly as yet be reckoned as naturalized amongst us. This Christian name has produced many offshoots in France. M. de Gerville remarks: "Of Guilleaume, or Villeaume, we have formed Guillot, Guillotte, Guillard, Villot, Villard, Guillemin, Villemain, Guillemette, Guilmard, Guilmot, Guilmoto, and Guillemino."

The William is variant form of the Guillard. William.

Family name William is the variant of Williams. William's or of William. Wilhelm, willing or devoted defender or protector.

Descendant of William meaning "resolution, helmet".

A variant of the Killeen. Grandson of Cillin, a pet form of Ceallach meaning "war".

A variation of Gilliam. Descendant of Guilliam meaning "resolution, helmet," the name of William as influenced by the French Guillaume.

Surname William is the form of Dillingham. One who came from Dullingham, i.e., the village of Dulla's people, in Cambridgeshire.

The lastname William is form of Killian. Grandson of Cillin or Cillean, pet forms of Ceallach meaning "war".

Variation of Gilliam. See William - It is the parent of a greater number of surnames than any other baptismal appellation. The following are the chief derivatives:- Fitz-William, Mac-William, Ap-William, Williams, Williamson, Wills, Willes, Wilks, Wilkes, Wilkin, Wilkins, Wilkie, Wilkinson, Wickens, Wickeson, Wickerson, Willson and Wilson, Willcock and Wilcocke, Willcocks, Woolcock, Wilcox, Wilcockson, Wilcoxon , Willet, Willott, Willatts, Wilmot, Willmott, Willomat, Willy and Willey, Willé, Willis. Also Bill, Bilson, and Bill An old provincial nickname of William is Till,—whence Tilson, Tillott, Tillotson, Tilly, and Tillie. Guilliam, Gilliam, Guillim, Gillett, Gillott, and Gilliat are also from this fecund source, as well as numerous continental surnames, which, though found in our directories, can hardly as yet be reckoned as naturalized amongst us. This Christian name has produced many offshoots in France. M. de Gerville remarks: "Of Guilleaume, or Villeaume, we have formed Guillot, Guillotte, Guillard, Villot, Villard, Guillemin, Villemain, Guillemette, Guilmard, Guilmot, Guilmoto, and Guillemino."

Family name William is the variant form of Gillingham. Parishes in counties Dorset, Kent, and Norfolk.

How popular is William?

William is common in Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, United States, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Liberia, Chad, India, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, France, Australia, Micronesia, England, Canada, Botswana, Pakistan, South Africa, Saint Lucia, Brazil, Philippines, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Haiti, United Arab Emirates, Malawi, Jamaica, Namibia, Dominican Republic, Cameroon, Solomon Islands, Hong Kong, Vanuatu, Nicaragua, Morocco, Fiji, Zambia, Algeria, Germany, Panama, Netherlands, New Zealand, Uganda, Seychelles, Cook Islands, Bahamas, Guyana, Senegal, Suriname, Wales, Colombia, Marshall Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Kuwait, Venezuela, Thailand, Portugal, Bahrain.

William is ranked 1515 on our list.

As per 2010 US census, number of Williams plummeted by 22.09 per cent to 13373 since 2000 and slipped by 771 spots and ranked at 2694. The last name was found in around 5 per hundred thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
Black 53.62 59.01
White 35.2 34.04
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 4.2 1.61
Hispanic or Latino 3.56 2.34
Others 2.38 2.33
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.05 0.67
William is quite popular family name mostly used in Tanzania while Micronesia is ahead in terms of density. Around 356426 people have been found who wears William as their family name. William is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of William:
31 Tanzania168,635
Countries with ten thousands of William:
417 Nigeria57,065
75 South Sudan32,234
1,947 United States23,584
642 Kenya10,374
Countries with thousands of William:
26 Papua New Guinea9,280
87 Liberia6,886
432 Chad5,681
12,280 India3,738
968 Malaysia3,629
398 Zimbabwe3,517
6,307 Indonesia2,319
3,982 France2,023
2,012 Australia1,908
2 Micronesia1,886
4,221 England1,758
3,370 Canada1,474
176 Botswana1,153
4,173 Pakistan1,148
6,092 South Africa1,134
22 Saint Lucia1,082
7,672 Brazil1,076
16,994 Philippines1,038
Countries with hundreds of William:
1,699 Iraq896
5,116 Saudi Arabia875
9,241 Egypt852
1,339 Haiti759
1,801 United Arab Emirates622
4,880 Malawi547
800 Jamaica447
1,036 Namibia442
1,522 Dominican Republic439
7,059 Cameroon381
99 Solomon Islands377
446 Hong Kong365
168 Vanuatu354
1,008 Nicaragua277
22,036 Morocco273
748 Fiji220
6,234 Zambia220
21,809 Algeria219
35,636 Germany213
1,289 Panama209
13,893 Netherlands203
4,174 New Zealand190
16,563 Uganda186
112 Seychelles182
4 Cook Islands160
350 Bahamas153
914 Guyana146
1,051 Senegal143
807 Suriname141
2,421 Wales136
6,284 Colombia126
71 Marshall Islands125
1,514 Trinidad and Tobago123
4,071 Kuwait116
6,359 Venezuela116
108,371 Thailand110
4,850 Portugal104
2,472 Bahrain103
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
11,405 Ghana100
2,607 Sudan91
242 Grenada84
19,805 Belgium83
3,980 Ireland80
11,081 Ivory Coast79
28,212 Spain77
9,791 Sweden71
133,552 Russia65
68,465 Italy64
1,272 China59
6,412 Scotland59
2,031 Honduras55
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
1,766 Madagascar49
20,522 Benin46
95,512 DR Congo43
17,881 Switzerland40
186 Northern Mariana Islands39
9,121 Sri Lanka38
520 United States Virgin Islands36
7,588 Lebanon35
9,218 Afghanistan34
3,049 Cyprus33
14,920 Denmark32
10,858 Ecuador32
738 Barbados31
755 Guam29
27,059 Mexico29
2,334 Costa Rica28
469 American Samoa25
22,095 Peru22
11,536 Qatar22
32,346 Israel21
3,514 New Caledonia21
6,343 Togo21
21,357 Niger20
8,044 Taiwan20
11,904 Ethiopia19
3,086 French Polynesia18
2,069 Rwanda17
13,856 Singapore17
77,522 Greece16
2,274 Mozambique16
3,970 Oman16
516 Sierra Leone16
15,474 Estonia15
13,598 Jordan15
7,342 Northern Ireland14
1,045 Aruba14
44,780 Japan14
4,887 Angola12
893 Antigua and Barbuda12
8,291 Syria12
64,097 Austria11
13,528 Bangladesh11
79,317 Kazakhstan11
2,636 Vietnam11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
7,997 Mauritius10
2,904 Puerto Rico10
352 Turks and Caicos Islands9
53,030 Hungary8
47,258 Norway8
1,286 Bermuda7
33,195 Chile7
15,723 Congo7
710 Greenland7
3,881 Iceland7
15,938 Lesotho7
146,768 Poland7
671 Saint Kitts and Nevis7
190,047 Argentina6
8,345 Cuba6
6,792 Guatemala6
139 Montserrat6
1,433 South Korea6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Margaret William hailed from Ireland. During the great famine, 58 years old embarked for USA from Cork on Liberty and arrived on May 21, 1846. 23 years old David William, Workman Williams William, 24 years old James-M. William, Workman Thomas William, Mary William (40) Maid, 17 years old Bridget William, Workman John William, Stephen William (32) Immigrant, William William, aged 36, and 23 other William around 36.84% of whom were workman while others worked as servant migrated to US.

From Italy

Laborer Franke William from Italy aboard the Chateau Leoville from Bordeaux. He is registered to be 20 years old when he arrived in USA on May 26, 1885. Marie William, aged 30, are others that migrated to US.

From Germany

Adam William worked as carpenter and hailed from Hesse Cassel. 25 years old embarked for Philadelphia from Bremen on Nanny & Emma and arrived on May 1, 1852. Christina William, aged 25, Elisabeth William, aged 23, Carl-Emil William, aged 1 month old, Tailor Carl-Wilh. William, Marie-Carol. William, Paul-Robert William, Albert William, Albertina William, aged 8, and 49 other William majority of whom were laborer and others worked as farmer and clerk, merchant, servant, engineer migrated to US from Bremen, Havre, Hamburg and Bremen & Southampton.

William Namesakes

  • Trespassers William, indie rock/dream pop band
  • Fadhili William, Kenyan recording artist and composer
  • Warren William, Broadway and Hollywood actor
  • SS Royal William, Canadian side-wheel paddle steamship that is sometimes credited with achieving the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to be made almost entirely under steam power
  • Matthew William, Malaysian cricketer

William Namesakes

  • Trespassers William, indie rock/dream pop band
  • Fadhili William, Kenyan recording artist and composer
  • Warren William, Broadway and Hollywood actor
  • SS Royal William, Canadian side-wheel paddle steamship that is sometimes credited with achieving the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to be made almost entirely under steam power
  • Matthew William, Malaysian cricketer

Related Family Names: