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 793
Agricultural Labourer 79
Coal Miner 78
Domestic Servant 76
Labourer 74
Dress Maker 53
General Labourer 53
Laundress 37
Carpenter 31
General Servant 27
No Occupation 22
Annuitant 21
School 20
Tailor 19
General Servant Domestic 18
Joiner 18
Servant 18
Collier 17
Housemaid 15
Painter 15
Farm Labourer 15
Cook 14
Grocer 14
House Keeper 13
Cotton Weaver 12

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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