Name histories / William
William: U.S. name history
Published Social Security birth-name counts for the exact spelling William in the male recorded field, 1880–2025.
In the latest file, William was at position 9 among published male-field spellings, with 10,545 recorded births. That is down 102 from 10,647 in 2024. Its first released row in this archive is from 1880; a missing earlier row does not establish when the name began to exist.
What the historical pattern shows
William was second among published male-field spellings in 1880 and remained third in 1925. It was still in the top ten as recently as 2015 and placed ninth in 2025, a remarkably long presence near the front of the list.
The annual count peaked in 1947, well above its current count. A smaller modern count does not erase its top-ten standing; it indicates that the distribution of names and the size of source cohorts both need consideration.
Selected annual records
| Birth year | Published count | Position* |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 9,532 | 2 |
| 1900 | 8,579 | 2 |
| 1925 | 53,310 | 3 |
| 1947 | 67,002 | 4 |
| 1950 | 60,680 | 6 |
| 1975 | 25,561 | 10 |
| 1990 | 24,906 | 16 |
| 2000 | 20,669 | 11 |
| 2010 | 17,072 | 5 |
| 2015 | 15,950 | 5 |
| 2020 | 12,676 | 5 |
| 2024 | 10,647 | 10 |
| 2025 | 10,545 | 9 |
*Position is calculated from the published entries in one year and field, ordered by count; it is not an official SSA rank. Counts are not adjusted for population or coverage. SSA suppresses small cells, so no row does not mean zero births.
Keep exploring
Compare James · Henry; inspect any spelling in the annual popularity tool; or see the 2025 overview.
Sources: SSA national data and suppression rules · our data method. Data reviewed 1 November 2026.