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

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
#2
1920 · 50,146 births
Debut · boys
1880
9,532 births
In top 100 · boys
146 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
4,199,696
since 1880

William over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10rank188019001920194019601980200020201961peak #2, 1920boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#11,9327#910,545
2024#10,2719#1010,647
2023#13,4626#1010,673
2022#12,2437#611,356
2021#5,74821#612,170
2020#7,55914#512,676
2019#8,59712#413,658
2018#8,61712#314,646
2017#6,53118#315,046
2016#6,18620#315,810
2015#7,61315#515,950
2014#5,62523#516,851
2013#8,13514#516,669
2012#6,57619#516,917
2011#4,91528#317,362
2010#5,77123#517,072
2009#8,05815#517,937
2008#5,14228#818,403
2007#5,37726#818,898
2006#6,84018#1018,965
2005#4,70428#1119,060
2004#1,734111#820,237
2003#4,10932#1120,000
2002#3,81034#1120,136
2001#4,83424#1020,110
2000#3,45338#1120,669
1999#4,31326#1420,718
1998#3,35336#1420,836
1997#4,12526#1920,020
1996#2,90141#1820,546
1995#2,65046#2020,160
1994#2,70145#1921,492
1993#2,82542#1822,218
1992#2,22060#2023,066
1991#2,29156#1923,860
1990#2,12861#1624,906
1989#1,52394#1524,673
1988#1,003163#1624,126
1987#954169#1524,202
1986#955165#1524,333
1985#874183#1624,606
1984#930158#1624,900
1983#820187#1625,396
1982#865178#1525,604
1981#886171#1524,798
1980#765216#1425,639
1979#823191#1324,676
1978#805186#1324,170
1977#802187#1224,758
1976#736200#1124,428
1975#829163#1025,561
1974#798169#1026,980
1973#801163#928,018
1972#729193#930,510
1971#741201#735,413
1970#726205#738,887
1969#713199#637,607
1968#703192#636,927
1967#720185#637,615
1966#734180#638,237
1965#787157#640,111
1964#836156#744,224
1963#764181#744,453
1962#784175#744,853
1961#729204#748,045
1960#804165#749,361
1959#823155#751,386
1958#793160#654,254
1957#771168#656,852
1956#799154#658,991
1955#913116#659,990
1954#834127#661,426
1953#803131#661,829
1952#736145#663,039
1951#863108#662,781
1950#773125#660,680
1949#748131#461,506
1948#668157#461,972
1947#676154#467,002
1946#629157#460,034
1945#604142#450,218
1944#625136#452,375
1943#581168#455,904
1942#566170#454,890
1941#595140#447,798
1940#562152#444,779
1939#539152#442,071
1938#586138#442,433
1937#514164#440,725
1936#522154#439,398
1935#495163#440,204
1934#482175#440,175
1933#469195#439,049
1932#428235#442,124
1931#417238#443,280
1930#398289#447,271
1929#360337#447,815
1928#368348#449,118
1927#381321#451,476
1926#395303#451,922
1925#402289#353,310
1924#445245#353,506
1923#458225#352,136
1922#499194#351,111
1921#517189#351,862
1920#477204#250,146
1919#514175#243,969
1918#535172#245,291
1917#519165#242,422
1916#575136#240,418
1915#565129#238,563
1914#57497#229,753
1913#52594#223,538
1912#55378#219,626
1911#60550#210,593
1910#69837#38,844
1909#66935#27,913
1908#55745#27,529
1907#70229#26,904
1906#68928#26,566
1905#66428#26,495
1904#70025#26,416
1903#54935#26,311
1902#66725#26,617
1901#53832#25,990
1900#50944#28,579
1899#64423#26,086
1898#48141#27,400
1897#52132#27,198
1896#43444#27,747
1895#45540#27,277
1894#48734#27,274
1893#47332#27,223
1892#40144#27,782
1891#35150#26,763
1890#43534#27,494
1889#35346#27,772
1888#36942#28,705
1887#32244#27,470
1886#36035#28,252
1885#34833#28,044
1884#33734#28,897
1883#27840#28,387
1882#31731#29,298
1881#28630#28,524
1880#28230#29,532
First appearance
1880

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.

Where William is popular in 1961

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #6 for boys · 95 births · 1 in 33 boysAKMaine: #10 for boys · 245 births · 1 in 45 boysMEVermont: #11 for boys · 87 births · 1 in 45 boysVTNew Hampshire: #11 for boys · 144 births · 1 in 43 boysNHWashington: #11 for boys · 523 births · 1 in 59 boysWAIdaho: #11 for boys · 119 births · 1 in 61 boysIDMontana: #7 for boys · 163 births · 1 in 47 boysMTNorth Dakota: #18 for boys · 98 births · 1 in 74 boysNDMinnesota: #18 for boys · 594 births · 1 in 69 boysMNIllinois: #7 for boys · 2,613 births · 1 in 44 boysILWisconsin: #14 for boys · 901 births · 1 in 53 boysWIMichigan: #8 for boys · 2,014 births · 1 in 46 boysMINew York: #8 for boys · 4,632 births · 1 in 39 boysNYMassachusetts: #8 for boys · 1,786 births · 1 in 32 boysMARhode Island: #6 for boys · 300 births · 1 in 30 boysRIOregon: #13 for boys · 269 births · 1 in 65 boysORNevada: #7 for boys · 83 births · 1 in 39 boysNVWyoming: #10 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 59 boysWYSouth Dakota: #16 for boys · 112 births · 1 in 69 boysSDIowa: #15 for boys · 474 births · 1 in 64 boysIAIndiana: #8 for boys · 1,170 births · 1 in 46 boysINOhio: #7 for boys · 2,647 births · 1 in 42 boysOHPennsylvania: #7 for boys · 3,687 births · 1 in 32 boysPANew Jersey: #6 for boys · 1,923 births · 1 in 33 boysNJConnecticut: #9 for boys · 759 births · 1 in 35 boysCTCalifornia: #9 for boys · 3,151 births · 1 in 60 boysCAUtah: #16 for boys · 137 births · 1 in 89 boysUTColorado: #8 for boys · 403 births · 1 in 55 boysCONebraska: #14 for boys · 284 births · 1 in 57 boysNEMissouri: #7 for boys · 982 births · 1 in 49 boysMOKentucky: #5 for boys · 1,082 births · 1 in 32 boysKYWest Virginia: #7 for boys · 541 births · 1 in 35 boysWVVirginia: #6 for boys · 1,485 births · 1 in 29 boysVAMaryland: #6 for boys · 1,111 births · 1 in 30 boysMDDelaware: #6 for boys · 220 births · 1 in 24 boysDEArizona: #8 for boys · 282 births · 1 in 60 boysAZNew Mexico: #8 for boys · 204 births · 1 in 65 boysNMKansas: #9 for boys · 401 births · 1 in 56 boysKSArkansas: #7 for boys · 408 births · 1 in 48 boysARTennessee: #5 for boys · 1,128 births · 1 in 35 boysTNNorth Carolina: #4 for boys · 1,792 births · 1 in 29 boysNCSouth Carolina: #6 for boys · 887 births · 1 in 32 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #6 for boys · 452 births · 1 in 33 boysDCOklahoma: #8 for boys · 411 births · 1 in 57 boysOKLouisiana: #9 for boys · 658 births · 1 in 63 boysLAMississippi: #7 for boys · 611 births · 1 in 44 boysMSAlabama: #6 for boys · 1,010 births · 1 in 37 boysALGeorgia: #6 for boys · 1,343 births · 1 in 36 boysGAHawaii: #7 for boys · 145 births · 1 in 52 boysHITexas: #8 for boys · 1,866 births · 1 in 64 boysTXFlorida: #6 for boys · 1,553 births · 1 in 35 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. North Carolina#4 · 1 in 29
  2. Kentucky#5 · 1 in 32
  3. Tennessee#5 · 1 in 35
  4. Delaware#6 · 1 in 24
  5. Virginia#6 · 1 in 29

Best ever in a state: #1 in Nevada, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
North Carolina#41,7921 in 29
Kentucky#51,0821 in 32
Tennessee#51,1281 in 35
Alabama#61,0101 in 37
Alaska#6951 in 33
Delaware#62201 in 24
District of Columbia#64521 in 33
Florida#61,5531 in 35
Georgia#61,3431 in 36
Maryland#61,1111 in 30
New Jersey#61,9231 in 33
Rhode Island#63001 in 30
South Carolina#68871 in 32
Virginia#61,4851 in 29
Arkansas#74081 in 48
Hawaii#71451 in 52
Illinois#72,6131 in 44
Mississippi#76111 in 44
Missouri#79821 in 49
Montana#71631 in 47
Nevada#7831 in 39
Ohio#72,6471 in 42
Pennsylvania#73,6871 in 32
West Virginia#75411 in 35
Arizona#82821 in 60
Colorado#84031 in 55
Indiana#81,1701 in 46
Massachusetts#81,7861 in 32
Michigan#82,0141 in 46
New Mexico#82041 in 65
New York#84,6321 in 39
Oklahoma#84111 in 57
Texas#81,8661 in 64
California#93,1511 in 60
Connecticut#97591 in 35
Kansas#94011 in 56
Louisiana#96581 in 63
Maine#102451 in 45
Wyoming#10601 in 59
Idaho#111191 in 61
New Hampshire#111441 in 43
Vermont#11871 in 45
Washington#115231 in 59
Oregon#132691 in 65
Nebraska#142841 in 57
Wisconsin#149011 in 53
Iowa#154741 in 64
South Dakota#161121 in 69
Utah#161371 in 89
Minnesota#185941 in 69
North Dakota#18981 in 74

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about William
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 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)
Rise & fade · boys
40 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1920 at #2 (50,146 births)
  • Births halved by 1976, 56 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 118 yrs
  • Top 10: 118 yrs · run 1880–1975
  • Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 12
  • 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
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 14.1% of all boys named William (591,228) were born in this decade
  • Comeback: #2 (1920) → #20 (1992) → #3 (2011)
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s84,881#2 (1880)#2
1890s72,244#2 (1892)#2
1900s69,320#2 (1900)#2
1910s303,017#2 (1918)#2
1920s512,402#2 (1920)#3
1930s416,730#4 (1930)#4
1940s556,478#4 (1947)#4
1950s591,228#6 (1952)#6
1960s421,433#6 (1965)#7
1970s283,401#7 (1970)#10
1980s248,277#14 (1980)#15
1990s217,822#14 (1998)#18
2000s194,415#5 (2009)#9
2010s159,981#3 (2011)#4
2020s68,067#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 1961

girls
#729
204 births · 1 in 9,895 girls
boys
#7
48,045 births · 1 in 44 boys

Top girls' names in 1961

  1. #1Mary47,682
  2. #2Lisa42,720
  3. #3Susan37,532
  4. #4Linda35,597
  5. #5Karen34,707
  6. #6Patricia28,889
  7. #7Donna28,679
  8. #8Cynthia24,393
  9. #9Sandra24,153
  10. #10Deborah24,107
  11. #729William204

Top boys' names in 1961

  1. #1Michael86,974
  2. #2David84,810
  3. #3John79,983
  4. #4James75,969
  5. #5Robert72,977
  6. #6Mark57,796
  7. #7William48,045
  8. #8Richard41,142
  9. #9Thomas37,565
  10. #10Steven32,275
More about 1961

girls

2,018,495 girls got a published name in 1961; 1 in 9,895 of them was named William, which outranked 90.3% of the 7,527 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside William
  1. #724Lula206
  2. #727Maribeth205
  3. #727Selina205
  4. #729William204
  5. #730Francis203
  6. #730Kathrine203
  7. #730Susanna203
Biggest movers since 1960
Risers
  1. ↑ 997Corinna#1,811 → #814
  2. ↑ 789Sabra#1,637 → #848
  3. ↑ 745Velvet#1,286 → #541
  4. ↑ 601Johnna#1,043 → #442
  5. ↑ 600Damita#1,597 → #997
Fallers
  1. ↓ 317Sheena#980 → #1,297
  2. ↓ 253Lita#909 → #1,162
  3. ↓ 241Jannette#970 → #1,211
  4. ↓ 229Francisca#939 → #1,168
  5. ↓ 214Andra#822 → #1,036

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,124,195 boys got a published name in 1961; 1 in 44 of them was named William, which outranked 99.8% of the 4,657 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside William
  1. #4James75,969
  2. #5Robert72,977
  3. #6Mark57,796
  4. #7William48,045
  5. #8Richard41,142
  6. #9Thomas37,565
  7. #10Steven32,275
Biggest movers since 1960
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,171Parrish#4,038 → #867
  2. ↑ 589Brook#1,252 → #663
  3. ↑ 467Osvaldo#1,434 → #967
  4. ↑ 426Shayne#1,152 → #726
  5. ↑ 367Pernell#1,295 → #928
Fallers
  1. ↓ 425Wayde#672 → #1,097
  2. ↓ 380Yancy#923 → #1,303
  3. ↓ 301Jonas#905 → #1,206
  4. ↓ 264Tobin#833 → #1,097
  5. ↓ 253Keenan#748 → #1,001

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1961 →