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
School 735
Coal Miner Hewer 96
General Labourer 78
Labourer 76
Private Means 72
Farm Labourer 54
General Servant (domestic) 54
Farmer 51
Dressmaker 49
None 46
Domestic Servant 34
Housekeeper 33
Scholar 33
House Keeper 32
At Home 29
House Painter 29
Coal Miner (hewer) 29
Domestic 26
Sea Apprentice 26
Clerk 25
School Boy 24
Carpenter 22
General Servant Domestic 21
Shop Assistant 21
General Servant 21

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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