Wilhelm
Masculine · “resolute protection”
Wilhelm is the German original of William, and its two elements are concrete: will, meaning resolve, and helm, meaning a helmet.
How old is the name Wilhelm?
Wilhelm was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Wilhelm alive today was born around 1977, making them about 48 years old. About 1,200 people named Wilhelm are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Wilhelm most popular?
Wilhelm peaked in 1885, reaching #765 nationally. Today it ranks #4050, 3,285 places below that high. See the whole 1885 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Willahelm to Wilhelm
The story of Wilhelm
Wilhelm was among the commonest German men's names for a millennium, and it produced William in England after the Norman conquest, Guillaume in France and Guglielmo in Italy. Two German emperors carried it, which colored the name heavily in the English-speaking world after 1914. It appears in American records in large numbers with German emigration in the nineteenth century.
Meaning
resolute protection
From Germanic wil, will or desire, and helm, a helmet; the compound describes a determined defender rather than an abstract quality, which is typical of Germanic naming's preference for equipment over ideas.
How the name formed
- Willahelm
- Wilhelm
Related forms: William · Guillaume · Willem · Guillermo
Pronouncing Wilhelm
VIL-helm
Two syllables, first stressed; the w is a v in German. Americans say WIL-helm.
Nicknames for Wilhelm
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 201438 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #765reached in 1885
- Change vs 2022
- −21.2%26 in 2025, from 33
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Wilhelm in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- William in English — same name
- Guillaume in French — same name
- Willem in Dutch — same name
- Guillermo in Spanish — same name
Wilhelms among us
people named Wilhelm are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 65,695 born in 2025 was named Wilhelm
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Wilhelm sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Wilhelm is headed
Wilhelm should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Wilhelm beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Wilhelm in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled Germanic meaning with both elements clearly attested and concrete.
- Will and Willi are both ready short forms in two languages.
- Substantial nineteenth-century American use behind it.
- The initial w is a v in German and English speakers will not say it that way.
- The two German emperors are a strong twentieth-century association.
- William is the English form and enormously more common.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Wilhelm to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Wilhelm? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Wilhelm
Masculine · #4050 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Wilhelms are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,200 people named Wilhelm are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Wilhelm in 2025?
- Wilhelm ranks #4050 among US boy names in 2025, with 26 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Wilhelm?
- About 1 in every 65,695 US boys born in 2025 was named Wilhelm — 26 in all.
- Will my child share the name Wilhelm with classmates?
- Wilhelm will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Wilhelm
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Myer#4050 · Hewitt#4050 · Antonino#4050 · Egan#4050 · Johnmichael#4050 · Gauge#4050 · Emran#4050 · Freeman#4050
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Wilhelm? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Wilhelm and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle