William Family History
William Name Meaning
English (of Norman origin): from the Middle English personal name William Willam Willem an Old Picard and Norman French form of ancient Germanic Willihelm composed of the elements wil- ‘will desire’ + helm- ‘helmet protection’. This Norman personal name became widely used in England Scotland and Wales after the Conquest mainly no doubt in honor of the Conqueror himself. By the 13th century it had already become the most popular personal name in England. A Parisian form of the name Guillaume was also sometimes used (see Gillam ) which in medieval Wales was adopted as Gwilym (see Gwilliam ). Americanized form (translation into English) of French Guillaume .
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022