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
Scholar 2,082
Labourer 325
Agricultural Labourer 233
General Servant 192
Domestic Servant 188
Coal Miner 145
Dress Maker 134
Servant 114
Collier 112
Quarry Man 107
Farm Servant 87
House Keeper 80
Carpenter 76
Miner 73
Laundress 69
Annuitant 61
Farm Labourer 61
Blacksmith 60
Tailor 57
Nurse 49
Quarry Man's Wife 45
Shoe Maker 44
Farmer 44
Cook 43
Gardener 40

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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