William

English

Etymology

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 latter component ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to cover, conceal, save”). Cognate with Dutch Willem, German Wilhelm, etc.; cognate borrowings outside of Germanic include Guillaume and Guillermo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɪl.jəm/, /ˈwɪl.i.əm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪliəm

Noun

William

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

   Synonym: Whiskey

Proper noun

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.

   • 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.

2. A surname.

Derived terms

• Fort William
• guillemot
• King William
• King William County
• Prince William County
• Prince William Sound
• William and Mary
• Williamite
• Williams
• Williamson

 

Related terms

variants and pet forms

• Bill
• Billie
• Billy
• Liam
• Will
• Willie
• Wills
• Willy

 

feminine forms

• Billie
• Minnie
• Wilhelmina
• Williamina
• Willie Mae
• Wilma

 

surnames

• Fitzwilliam
• Gilham
• Gill
• Gillam
• Gillatt
• Gillet
• Gillett
• Gillham
• Gilliam
• Gilliatt
• Gillott
• Gillum
• Wilcock
• Wilcox
• Wilk
• Wilke
• Wilken
• Wilkens
• Wilkerson
• Wilkes
• Wilkie
• Wilkin
• Wilkins
• Wilkinson
• Wilks
• Will
• Willems
• Willes
• Willet
• Willets
• Willett
• Willetts
• Williams
• Williamson
• Williment
• Willimott
• Willis
• Willison
• Willment
• Willmett
• Willmot
• Willmott
• Willott
• Wills
• Willson
• Wilmot
• Wilmott
• Wilson
• Wyatt

 

Descendants

• → 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

Translations

male given name

• Albanian: Gulielm m,, Golem m, Gjyiam m
• Arabic: وِيلْيَام m (wilyām), وِلْيَم m (wilyam)
• Aragonese: Guillén
• Armenian: Գուլիելմոս (Gulielmos), Վիլհելմ (Vilhelm) (historical persons), Ուիլյամ (Uilyam)
• Azerbaijani: Uilyam
• Bengali: উইলিয়াম (bn) (uiliẏam)
• Breton: Gwilherm
• Bulgarian: Уи́лям m (Uíljam)
• Catalan: Guillem (ca) m
• Cebuano: William
• Cherokee: ᏫᎵᏯᎻ (wiliyami)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 威廉 (wai¹ lim⁴)

  Mandarin: 威廉 (zh) (Wēilián)

• Cornish: Wella
• Corsican: Guglielmu m
• Czech: Vilém (cs) m
• Danish: Vilhelm
• Dutch: Willem (nl), Wim (nl)
• Esperanto: Vilhelmo
• Estonian: Villem
• Faroese: Vilhjálmur, Viljormur
• Finnish: Vilho (fi), Ville (fi), Vilhelm (fi) (of historical persons)
• French: Guillaume (fr), William (fr)
• Galician: Guillerme (gl)
• Georgian: უილიამი (uiliami), ვილიამი (viliami), ვილჰელმი (vilhelmi), გიომი (giomi)
• German: Wilhelm (de) m
• Greek: Γουλιέλμος (el) (Gouliélmos), Ουίλλιαμ (el) (Ouílliam), Γουίλιαμ (el) (Gouíliam) (transliteration from English)
• Hawaiian: Wiliama, Uilama
• Hebrew: וילהלם, וויליאם
• Hungarian: Vilmos (hu)
• Icelandic: Vilhjálmur (is)
• Ingrian: Viljam
• Irish: Uilliam, Liam
• Italian: Guglielmo (it) m
• Japanese: ウィリアム (Wiriamu), ウィレム (Uiremu) (Dutch form), ギヨーム (Giyōmu) (French form)
• Korean: 윌리엄 (Willieom)
• Latin: Gulielmus (la) m, Guilelmus, Guilielmus (Guilhelmus); Wilhelmus m
• Latvian: Viljams, Vilhelms
• Lithuanian: Vìlhelmas (lt)
• Low German: Willem, Wilm
• Luxembourgish: Wëllem
• Macedonian: Ви́лијам (Vílijam)
• Maori: Wiremu
• Norman: Dgillaume m, Villaume, Villame
• Norwegian: Vilhelm
• Occitan: Guilhèm (oc)
• Old English: Willelm
• Old Norse: Vilhjálmr
• Persian: ویلیام (fa) (viliyâm)
• Polish: Wilhelm (pl)
• Portuguese: Guilherme (pt)
• Romanian: Vilhelm
• Russian: Вильге́льм (ru) m (Vilʹgélʹm), Уи́льям (ru) m (Uílʹjam), Уилья́м (ru) m (Uilʹjám), Ви́льям (ru) m (Vílʹjam), Вилья́м (ru) m (Vilʹjám)
• Samoan: Viliamu
• Scots: Weelum, Willum
• Scottish Gaelic: Uilleam
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Вилим

  Roman: Vilim

• Sicilian: Gugghiermu m, Vilermu m
• Slovak: Viliam
• Slovene: Viljem
• Spanish: Guillermo (es)
• Swedish: Vilhelm (sv)
• Tagalog: William
• Tamil: வில்லியம் (villiyam)
• Tongan: Viliami
• Ukrainian: Вільгельм (Vilʹhelʹm)
• Walloon: Wiyåme (wa)
• Welsh: Gwilym, Gwillim
• Yiddish: וויליאַם (vilyam)

References

• “William”, in Online Etymology Dictionary‎^[1], Douglas Harper, retrieved September 17, 2024

Cebuano

Etymology

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

Proper noun

William

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

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:William.

Derived terms

• Yamyam

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from English William.

Proper noun

William

1. a male given name

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wi.ljam/

Proper noun

William m

1. a male given name

Hungarian

Pronunciation

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

Proper noun

William

1. William

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	William	Williamek
accusative	Williamet	Williameket
dative	Williamnek	Williameknek
instrumental	Williammel	Williamekkel
causal-final	Williamért	Williamekért
translative	Williammé	Williamekké
terminative	Williamig	Williamekig
essive-formal	Williamként	Williamekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	Williamben	Williamekben
superessive	Williamen	Williameken
adessive	Williamnél	Williameknél
illative	Williambe	Williamekbe
sublative	Williamre	Williamekre
allative	Williamhez	Williamekhez
elative	Williamből	Williamekből
delative	Williamről	Williamekről
ablative	Williamtől	Williamektől
non-attributive possessive - singular	Williamé	Williameké
non-attributive possessive - plural	Williaméi	Williamekéi

Possessive forms of William
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	Williamem	Williamjeim
2nd person sing.	Williamed	Williamjeid
3rd person sing.	Williamje	Williamjei
1st person plural	Williamünk	Williamjeink
2nd person plural	Williametek	Williamjeitek
3rd person plural	Williamjük	Williamjeik

Middle English

Alternative forms

• Willame

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman Willame.

Proper noun

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.

Descendants

• > 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)

References

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

Norwegian

Etymology

Borrowed from English William.

Proper noun

William

1. a male given name

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Willian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English William. Doublet of Guilherme.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈwi.li.ɐ̃/ [ˈwi.lɪ.ɐ̃], (faster pronunciation) /ˈwi.ljɐ̃/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈwi.ljɐm/

Proper noun

William m

1. a male given name from English.

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English William. Doublet of Guillermo.

Pronunciation

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

Proper noun

William m

1. a male given name from English

Swedish

Alternative forms

• Villiam

Etymology

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

Proper noun

William c (genitive Williams)

1. a male given name

Derived terms

• Wille (diminutive)

References

• Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
• [2] 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.

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English William.

Pronunciation

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

Proper noun

William (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜒᜎ᜔ᜌᜋ᜔)

1. a male given name from English