Williams
Boy name · #3039 in 2025 · Uniqueness 74/100
Williams is currently the #3039 boy name in the United States — 40 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2684, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 45,000 boys born in 2025 was named Williams.
Babies named Williams per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Williams first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 11 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1950, when 86 boys were named Williams — good for #741 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Williams against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Williams in class?
Williams scores 74 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Williams will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Williams is most common
State-level data for Williams is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Williams
Statistically, parents drawn to Williams tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Clarke, Denis, Frederic, Stanton, and Wayde.
ClarkeDenisFredericStantonWaydeBorisDomingoChristos
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Williams | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40 | #3036 |
| 2024 | 53 | #2527 |
| 2023 | 57 | #2387 |
| 2022 | 40 | #3053 |
| 2021 | 46 | #2732 |
| 2020 | 37 | #3074 |
| 2019 | 45 | #2766 |
| 2018 | 52 | #2472 |
| 2017 | 42 | #2840 |
| 2016 | 36 | #3161 |
| 2015 | 45 | #2684 |
| 2014 | 38 | #2985 |
| 2013 | 40 | #2848 |
| 2012 | 47 | #2594 |
| 2011 | 45 | #2663 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3128 |
| 2009 | 56 | #2320 |
| 2008 | 68 | #2039 |
| 2007 | 63 | #2139 |
| 2006 | 57 | #2221 |
| 2005 | 53 | #2237 |
| 2004 | 52 | #2208 |
| 2003 | 58 | #1987 |
| 2002 | 62 | #1832 |
| 2001 | 63 | #1777 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Williams a popular boy name?
Williams ranked #3039 among boys in 2025 with 40 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2684.
When was the name Williams most popular?
Williams peaked in 1950, when 86 American boys received the name (ranked #741 that year). Since 1950 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Williams?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 45,000 newborn American boys was named Williams. It scores 74/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
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.