William
Boy name · #9 in 2025 · Very well-known
William ranks #9 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 10,545 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #5, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 171 boys born in 2025 was named William.
The 145-year story
William first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 9,532 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 67,002 boys were named William — good for #4 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named William per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare William against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another William in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common William is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where William is most common
Geography matters for names, and William is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, William is most common in WY (22 per 1,000), DC (17 per 1,000), AK (16 per 1,000), AL (15 per 1,000), MS (14 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 7.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where William is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of William
William carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the William family went to about 11,065 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #8, versus #9 for William alone.
Names like William
Statistically, parents drawn to William tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are James, Michael, John, Charles, and Thomas.
JamesMichaelJohnCharlesThomasJosephDavidBenjamin
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named William | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10,545 | #9 |
| 2024 | 10,647 | #10 |
| 2023 | 10,673 | #10 |
| 2022 | 11,356 | #6 |
| 2021 | 12,170 | #6 |
| 2020 | 12,676 | #5 |
| 2019 | 13,658 | #4 |
| 2018 | 14,646 | #3 |
| 2017 | 15,046 | #3 |
| 2016 | 15,810 | #3 |
| 2015 | 15,950 | #5 |
| 2014 | 16,851 | #5 |
| 2013 | 16,669 | #5 |
| 2012 | 16,917 | #5 |
| 2011 | 17,362 | #3 |
| 2010 | 17,072 | #5 |
| 2009 | 17,937 | #5 |
| 2008 | 18,403 | #8 |
| 2007 | 18,898 | #8 |
| 2006 | 18,965 | #10 |
| 2005 | 19,060 | #11 |
| 2004 | 20,237 | #8 |
| 2003 | 20,000 | #11 |
| 2002 | 20,136 | #11 |
| 2001 | 20,110 | #10 |
Frequently asked questions
Is William a popular boy name?
William ranked #9 among boys in 2025 with 10,545 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #5.
When was the name William most popular?
William peaked in 1947, when 67,002 American boys received the name (ranked #4 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name William?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 171 newborn American boys was named William. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.