William

From Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz (> Latin Gulielmus), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“will”) + *helmaz (“helmet”), the last component ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, conceal, save”). Cognate with Dutch Willem, German Wilhelm, etc.; cognate borrowings outside of Germanic include Guillaume and Guillermo.

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɪl.i.əm/, /ˈwɪl.jəm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪliəm

William

1. (World War II era, joint US/RAF) radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter W.

   Synonym: Whiskey

William (plural Williams)

1. A male given name from the Germanic languages popular since the Norman Conquest.
   • 1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 98:

     This name hath been most common in England since King William the Conquerour, insomuch that upon a festival day in the Court of King Henry the Second, when Sir William Saint-John, and Sir William Fitz-Hamon, especial Officers, had commanded that none but of the name of William should dine in the great Chamber with them, they were accompanied with a hundred and twenty Williams.

   • 1629, Thomas Adams, Meditations upon Creed: The Works of Thomas Adams, James Nichol (1862), volume 3, page 212:

     But we have known Williams and Richards, names not found in sacred story, but familiar to our country, prove as gracious saints as any Safe deliverance, Fight the good fight of faith, or such like,

   • 2004, Christopher Wood, California, Here I Am, TwentyFirst Century Publishers Ltd, →ISBN, pages 29–30:

     By the same token I should probably have called myself 'Bill'. With a name like William you have choices. Very handy for us chameleons. 'William' is stern and dignified. A little austere and unapproachable. He conquers things. It is what my mother calls me when she is angry with me.

   • 2012 October 3, Rebekah Higgitt, “Why whiggish won't do”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     One was a piece, Two Cheers for the Whig Interpretation of History, by William Cronon, president of the American Historical Association.

2. A surname.

• → Azerbaijani: Uilyam (transliteration)
• → Bengali: উইলিয়াম (uiliẏam)
• ⇒ Cebuano: William
• → Chinese: 威廉 (Wēilián) (transliteration)
• → Finnish: Viljami, Wiljami
• → Hawaiian: Uilama, Wilama, Wiliama
• → Ingrian: Viljam (transliteration)
• → Japanese: ウィリアム (Wiriamu)
• → Korean: 윌리엄 (willieom) (transliteration)
• Russian: Уильям (Uilʹjam)
• ⇒ Slovak: Viliam
• → Tagalog: William

• “William”, in Online Etymology Dictionary‎^[2], Douglas Harper, retrieved 17 September 2024

From English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from willo (“will”) + helm (“helmet”).

William

1. a male given name from English [in turn from the Germanic languages]

For quotations using this term, see Citations:William.

• Yamyam

Borrowed from English William.

William

1. a male given name

Borrowed from English William, though ultimately of Anglo-Norman origin. Doublet of Guillaume.

• IPA^(key): /wi.ljam/

William m

1. a male given name

• IPA^(key): [ˈvilijɛm]
• Hyphenation: Wil‧li‧am

William

1. William

• Willame

From Anglo-Norman Willame.

William

1. a male given name, equivalent to English William
   • 1477, William Caxton, “Et sic est finis”, in The Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres, Westminster, London: William Caxton, folio 74, recto:

     Here endeth the book named the dictes or sayengis of the philosophres enprynted. by me william Caxton at westmestre the yere of our lord .M.CCCC.Lxx vij.

     Here ends the book named "The Dictations or Sayings of the Philosophers" printed by me, William Caxton, at Westminster, the year of our Lord 1477.

• > English: William (inherited) (see there for further descendants)
• Scots: Weelum, Willum
• > Yola: Wyllhaume, Willyaam, Wilyame (inherited)
• ⇒ Middle Irish: Uilliam
  • > Irish: Uilliam (inherited)
  • > Scottish Gaelic: Uilleam (inherited)

• “William”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Borrowed from English William.

William

1. a male given name

• Uiliam, Uíliam, Uiliame, Willian

Unadapted borrowing from English William. Doublet of Guilherme.

William m

1. a male given name from English

Unadapted borrowing from English William. Doublet of Guillermo.

• IPA^(key): /ˈwiljam/ [ˈwi.ljãm]
  • Rhymes: -iljam
• IPA^(key): /ˈwiljan/ [ˈwi.ljãn]
  • Rhymes: -iljan
• IPA^(key): /ˈwɪliəm/ [ˈwɪliəm]
  • Rhymes: -iəm
• Syllabification: Wi‧lliam

William m

1. a male given name from English

• Villiam

Borrowed from English William. First recorded as a Swedish given name in 1675. Cognate with Swedish Vilhelm.

William c (genitive Williams)

1. a male given name

• Wille (diminutive)

• Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
• [3] Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 34 793 males with the given name William (compared to 825 named Villiam) living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 2000s decade. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

Borrowed from English William.

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈwiljam/ [ˈwil.jɐm]
• Rhymes: -iljam
• Syllabification: Will‧iam

William (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜒᜎ᜔ᜌᜋ᜔)

1. a male given name from English