William Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

William Name Meaning: This surname comes from the german name 'Wilhelm' the name itself comprises of 'wil'meaning desire or will and 'helm' meaning helmet/protection.

An Anglo-Norman surname which became popular after after the Norman conquest.

Discover how your William ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

William Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the William family

Profession Census Frequency
General Labourer 159
Living On Own Means 145
General Servant Domestic 90
Dress Maker 76
Coal Miner Hewer 72
Cook Domestic 65
Farmer 59
Domestic Servant 53
Scholar 53
Housemaid Domestic 40
Carpenter 39
Coal Hewer 39
Charwoman 35
Cotton Weaver 31
Blacksmith 29
Clerk 29
Dressmaker 29
Bricklayer 27
House Maid Domestic 27
Dock Labourer 26
House Keeper 26
Servant Domestic 26
Laundress Wash 24
Railway Porter 24
School 23

William Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 William 100% 94,374
2 Woollam 57% 1,487
3 Willam 86% 803
4 Wallam 71% 304
5 Wellum 57% 173
6 Wollam 71% 151
7 Wellam 71% 134
8 Wollom 57% 127
9 Wiliam 86% 110

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The surname William is the most popular version of all its varients

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