Name meaning & stats
Wilhelm
Wilhelm means “will + helmet” (Germanic origin). 1,310 US babies since 1940, peak 2014. Notable Wilhelms are 2.5× over-represented as professors.
What it means
“will + helmet”
GermanicSpelling of William
From Old High German Willahelm.
William around the world
- Уильям · Russian
- Вільям · Ukrainian
- Γουίλιαμ · Greek
- وليم · Arabic
- ויליאם · Hebrew
- विल्यम · Hindi
- ウィリアム · Japanese
- 윌리엄 · Korean
- Wilhelm · German
- Wiliam · Welsh
Famous Williams
- William Shakespeare · English playwright and poet (1564–1616)
- William Blake · English poet and artist (1757–1827)
- William Butler Yeats · Irish poet and playwright (1865–1939)
- William Faulkner · American writer (1897-1962)
William’s name day
- May 28 · Norway
- April 6 · Sweden
In US birth records
Peak year: 2014
1,310 US babies were named Wilhelm between 1940 and 2025.
Wilhelm around the world
- Sweden: 2,814 babies since 1998, peak 2011, No. 111 in 2022
- Norway: 1,116 babies since 1945, peak 2025, No. 119 in 2025
- France: 570 babies since 1900, peak 1992
From official birth registries. Sources are listed on About the data.
Where Wilhelms end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Professor | 2.5× | High · 93 people |
| Politician | 1.0× | High · 70 people |
| Writer | 1.2× | High · 35 people |
| Footballer | 0.5× | High · 33 people |
Among notable men who are professors, Wilhelms show up 2.5× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people of every nationality born 1940–2005 (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
One more thing…
Wilhelms are 2.0× more likely than expected to be judges.
The surprise career: Medium confidence · 11 notable people.
Other spellings
1 in 2106 Williams spell it Wilhelm
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 2014)