William
#11,932 for girls in 2025, 7 births · #9 for boys in 2025, 10,545 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1920 · 50,146 births
- Debut · boys
- 9,532 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 146 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 4,199,696since 1880
William over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #11,932 | 7 | #9 | 10,545 |
| 2024 | #10,271 | 9 | #10 | 10,647 |
| 2023 | #13,462 | 6 | #10 | 10,673 |
| 2022 | #12,243 | 7 | #6 | 11,356 |
| 2021 | #5,748 | 21 | #6 | 12,170 |
| 2020 | #7,559 | 14 | #5 | 12,676 |
| 2019 | #8,597 | 12 | #4 | 13,658 |
| 2018 | #8,617 | 12 | #3 | 14,646 |
| 2017 | #6,531 | 18 | #3 | 15,046 |
| 2016 | #6,186 | 20 | #3 | 15,810 |
| 2015 | #7,613 | 15 | #5 | 15,950 |
| 2014 | #5,625 | 23 | #5 | 16,851 |
| 2013 | #8,135 | 14 | #5 | 16,669 |
| 2012 | #6,576 | 19 | #5 | 16,917 |
| 2011 | #4,915 | 28 | #3 | 17,362 |
| 2010 | #5,771 | 23 | #5 | 17,072 |
| 2009 | #8,058 | 15 | #5 | 17,937 |
| 2008 | #5,142 | 28 | #8 | 18,403 |
| 2007 | #5,377 | 26 | #8 | 18,898 |
| 2006 | #6,840 | 18 | #10 | 18,965 |
| 2005 | #4,704 | 28 | #11 | 19,060 |
| 2004 | #1,734 | 111 | #8 | 20,237 |
| 2003 | #4,109 | 32 | #11 | 20,000 |
| 2002 | #3,810 | 34 | #11 | 20,136 |
| 2001 | #4,834 | 24 | #10 | 20,110 |
| 2000 | #3,453 | 38 | #11 | 20,669 |
| 1999 | #4,313 | 26 | #14 | 20,718 |
| 1998 | #3,353 | 36 | #14 | 20,836 |
| 1997 | #4,125 | 26 | #19 | 20,020 |
| 1996 | #2,901 | 41 | #18 | 20,546 |
| 1995 | #2,650 | 46 | #20 | 20,160 |
| 1994 | #2,701 | 45 | #19 | 21,492 |
| 1993 | #2,825 | 42 | #18 | 22,218 |
| 1992 | #2,220 | 60 | #20 | 23,066 |
| 1991 | #2,291 | 56 | #19 | 23,860 |
| 1990 | #2,128 | 61 | #16 | 24,906 |
| 1989 | #1,523 | 94 | #15 | 24,673 |
| 1988 | #1,003 | 163 | #16 | 24,126 |
| 1987 | #954 | 169 | #15 | 24,202 |
| 1986 | #955 | 165 | #15 | 24,333 |
| 1985 | #874 | 183 | #16 | 24,606 |
| 1984 | #930 | 158 | #16 | 24,900 |
| 1983 | #820 | 187 | #16 | 25,396 |
| 1982 | #865 | 178 | #15 | 25,604 |
| 1981 | #886 | 171 | #15 | 24,798 |
| 1980 | #765 | 216 | #14 | 25,639 |
| 1979 | #823 | 191 | #13 | 24,676 |
| 1978 | #805 | 186 | #13 | 24,170 |
| 1977 | #802 | 187 | #12 | 24,758 |
| 1976 | #736 | 200 | #11 | 24,428 |
| 1975 | #829 | 163 | #10 | 25,561 |
| 1974 | #798 | 169 | #10 | 26,980 |
| 1973 | #801 | 163 | #9 | 28,018 |
| 1972 | #729 | 193 | #9 | 30,510 |
| 1971 | #741 | 201 | #7 | 35,413 |
| 1970 | #726 | 205 | #7 | 38,887 |
| 1969 | #713 | 199 | #6 | 37,607 |
| 1968 | #703 | 192 | #6 | 36,927 |
| 1967 | #720 | 185 | #6 | 37,615 |
| 1966 | #734 | 180 | #6 | 38,237 |
| 1965 | #787 | 157 | #6 | 40,111 |
| 1964 | #836 | 156 | #7 | 44,224 |
| 1963 | #764 | 181 | #7 | 44,453 |
| 1962 | #784 | 175 | #7 | 44,853 |
| 1961 | #729 | 204 | #7 | 48,045 |
| 1960 | #804 | 165 | #7 | 49,361 |
| 1959 | #823 | 155 | #7 | 51,386 |
| 1958 | #793 | 160 | #6 | 54,254 |
| 1957 | #771 | 168 | #6 | 56,852 |
| 1956 | #799 | 154 | #6 | 58,991 |
| 1955 | #913 | 116 | #6 | 59,990 |
| 1954 | #834 | 127 | #6 | 61,426 |
| 1953 | #803 | 131 | #6 | 61,829 |
| 1952 | #736 | 145 | #6 | 63,039 |
| 1951 | #863 | 108 | #6 | 62,781 |
| 1950 | #773 | 125 | #6 | 60,680 |
| 1949 | #748 | 131 | #4 | 61,506 |
| 1948 | #668 | 157 | #4 | 61,972 |
| 1947 | #676 | 154 | #4 | 67,002 |
| 1946 | #629 | 157 | #4 | 60,034 |
| 1945 | #604 | 142 | #4 | 50,218 |
| 1944 | #625 | 136 | #4 | 52,375 |
| 1943 | #581 | 168 | #4 | 55,904 |
| 1942 | #566 | 170 | #4 | 54,890 |
| 1941 | #595 | 140 | #4 | 47,798 |
| 1940 | #562 | 152 | #4 | 44,779 |
| 1939 | #539 | 152 | #4 | 42,071 |
| 1938 | #586 | 138 | #4 | 42,433 |
| 1937 | #514 | 164 | #4 | 40,725 |
| 1936 | #522 | 154 | #4 | 39,398 |
| 1935 | #495 | 163 | #4 | 40,204 |
| 1934 | #482 | 175 | #4 | 40,175 |
| 1933 | #469 | 195 | #4 | 39,049 |
| 1932 | #428 | 235 | #4 | 42,124 |
| 1931 | #417 | 238 | #4 | 43,280 |
| 1930 | #398 | 289 | #4 | 47,271 |
| 1929 | #360 | 337 | #4 | 47,815 |
| 1928 | #368 | 348 | #4 | 49,118 |
| 1927 | #381 | 321 | #4 | 51,476 |
| 1926 | #395 | 303 | #4 | 51,922 |
| 1925 | #402 | 289 | #3 | 53,310 |
| 1924 | #445 | 245 | #3 | 53,506 |
| 1923 | #458 | 225 | #3 | 52,136 |
| 1922 | #499 | 194 | #3 | 51,111 |
| 1921 | #517 | 189 | #3 | 51,862 |
| 1920 | #477 | 204 | #2 | 50,146 |
| 1919 | #514 | 175 | #2 | 43,969 |
| 1918 | #535 | 172 | #2 | 45,291 |
| 1917 | #519 | 165 | #2 | 42,422 |
| 1916 | #575 | 136 | #2 | 40,418 |
| 1915 | #565 | 129 | #2 | 38,563 |
| 1914 | #574 | 97 | #2 | 29,753 |
| 1913 | #525 | 94 | #2 | 23,538 |
| 1912 | #553 | 78 | #2 | 19,626 |
| 1911 | #605 | 50 | #2 | 10,593 |
| 1910 | #698 | 37 | #3 | 8,844 |
| 1909 | #669 | 35 | #2 | 7,913 |
| 1908 | #557 | 45 | #2 | 7,529 |
| 1907 | #702 | 29 | #2 | 6,904 |
| 1906 | #689 | 28 | #2 | 6,566 |
| 1905 | #664 | 28 | #2 | 6,495 |
| 1904 | #700 | 25 | #2 | 6,416 |
| 1903 | #549 | 35 | #2 | 6,311 |
| 1902 | #667 | 25 | #2 | 6,617 |
| 1901 | #538 | 32 | #2 | 5,990 |
| 1900 | #509 | 44 | #2 | 8,579 |
| 1899 | #644 | 23 | #2 | 6,086 |
| 1898 | #481 | 41 | #2 | 7,400 |
| 1897 | #521 | 32 | #2 | 7,198 |
| 1896 | #434 | 44 | #2 | 7,747 |
| 1895 | #455 | 40 | #2 | 7,277 |
| 1894 | #487 | 34 | #2 | 7,274 |
| 1893 | #473 | 32 | #2 | 7,223 |
| 1892 | #401 | 44 | #2 | 7,782 |
| 1891 | #351 | 50 | #2 | 6,763 |
| 1890 | #435 | 34 | #2 | 7,494 |
| 1889 | #353 | 46 | #2 | 7,772 |
| 1888 | #369 | 42 | #2 | 8,705 |
| 1887 | #322 | 44 | #2 | 7,470 |
| 1886 | #360 | 35 | #2 | 8,252 |
| 1885 | #348 | 33 | #2 | 8,044 |
| 1884 | #337 | 34 | #2 | 8,897 |
| 1883 | #278 | 40 | #2 | 8,387 |
| 1882 | #317 | 31 | #2 | 9,298 |
| 1881 | #286 | 30 | #2 | 8,524 |
| 1880 | #282 | 30 | #2 | 9,532 |
In the first year the SSA published name data, William was already there! It came in at #2, and was given to 9,532 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1883–1910, when fewer than 8,900 boys a year got the name.
See more about William
- 1 spot since 2024 (#10 → #9)
- 4 spots since 2020 (#5 → #9)
- 4 spots since 2015 (#5 → #9)
- Biggest jump: 5 spots in 1998 (#19 → #14)
- Biggest drop: 4 spots in 2023 (#6 → #10)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1920 at #2 (50,146 births)
- Births halved by 1976, 56 yrs later
- Top 10: 118 yrs · run 1880–1975
- Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 12 boys born in 1880 were named William (8.6%)
- Latest: 1 in 162 boys born in 2025 (0.62%)
- Its best rank, #2 in 1920, was only 1 in 21 (4.7%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 14.1% of all boys named William (591,228) were born in this decade
- Comeback: #2 (1920) → #20 (1992) → #3 (2011)
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 84,881 | #2 (1880) | #2 |
| 1890s | 72,244 | #2 (1892) | #2 |
| 1900s | 69,320 | #2 (1900) | #2 |
| 1910s | 303,017 | #2 (1918) | #2 |
| 1920s | 512,402 | #2 (1920) | #3 |
| 1930s | 416,730 | #4 (1930) | #4 |
| 1940s | 556,478 | #4 (1947) | #4 |
| 1950s | 591,228 | #6 (1952) | #6 |
| 1960s | 421,433 | #6 (1965) | #7 |
| 1970s | 283,401 | #7 (1970) | #10 |
| 1980s | 248,277 | #14 (1980) | #15 |
| 1990s | 217,822 | #14 (1998) | #18 |
| 2000s | 194,415 | #5 (2009) | #9 |
| 2010s | 159,981 | #3 (2011) | #4 |
| 2020s | 68,067 | #5 (2020) | #8 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
William in 1996
Top girls' names in 1996
Top boys' names in 1996
More about 1996
girls
1,753,007 girls got a published name in 1996; 1 in 42,756 of them was named William, which outranked 81.7% of the 15,894 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 11.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #2,849Wesley42
- #2,849Yoana42
- #2,849Zakia42
- #2,901William41
- #2,901Alizabeth41
- #2,901Araseli41
- #2,901Arriana41
- #2,966Abbygail40
- #2,966Adreanna40
- #2,966Aiesha40
Tied with 64 names at #2,901; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,894,300 boys got a published name in 1996; 1 in 92 of them was named William, which outranked 99.8% of the 10,536 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 15.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.