Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2014

Wilhelm

Meaning A male given name from German, equivalent to English William Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,133 Trend → Stable

A male given name from German, equivalent to English William.

Rank 2025
#4,133
among boys · ↑183 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
26
named Wilhelm · +4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 65,695
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2014
38 babies
All-time total
1,828
#3,490 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Wilhelm popularity over time

1,828 babies have been named Wilhelm since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1885Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 41 4 – #833
1890s 26 3 -37% #1,069
1900s 37 4 +42% #930
1910s 183 18 +395% #1,118
1920s 122 12 -33% #2,056
1930s 109 11 -11% #1,846
1940s 67 7 -39% #1,891
1950s 113 11 +69% #1,936
1960s 167 17 +48% #1,626
1970s 124 12 -26% #1,741
1980s 123 12 -1% #2,425
1990s 125 13 +2% #4,158
2000s 205 21 +64% #3,622
2010s 233 23 +14% #3,035
2020s (to 2025) 153 26 +9% #3,530

Where Wilhelm is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 27 0.02 outside top 500
2027 27 0.02 outside top 500
2028 28 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 29 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Wilhelm

Wilhelm is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,133 in 2025 with 26 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 1,828 American babies have been named Wilhelm. Its peak came in 2014, when 38 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Wilhelm stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Wilhelm?

The median living Wilhelm is about 27 years old; half are between 12 and 54. An estimated 1,200 people named Wilhelm are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Wilhelm year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 26 #4,133
2024 25 #4,316
2023 18 #5,456
2022 33 #3,530
2021 25 #4,234
2020 26 #4,013
2019 12 #7,146
2018 29 #3,788
2017 24 #4,323
2016 24 #4,318
2015 21 #4,701
2014 38 #3,035
2013 19 #4,968
2012 24 #4,241
2011 16 #5,664
2010 26 #3,989
2009 20 #4,912
2008 20 #4,893
2007 22 #4,483
2006 17 #5,294
2005 24 #3,938
2004 21 #4,259
2003 25 #3,622
2002 22 #3,903
2001 21 #3,967
2000 13 #5,569
1995 10 #5,911
1990 13 #4,397
1985 15 #3,214
1980 11 #3,834
1975 10 #3,656
1970 26 #1,741
1965 16 #2,081
1960 19 #1,909
1955 12 #2,430
1950 9 #2,765
1945 7 #2,989
1940 15 #1,891
1935 8 #2,940
1930 14 #2,175
1925 13 #2,429
1920 16 #2,127
1915 21 #1,551
1910 8 #1,309
1905 – –
1900 5 #1,503
1895 5 #1,239
1890 5 #1,158
1885 7 #833
1880 6 #905

Famous people named Wilhelm

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Keitel German field marshal and war criminal (1882–1946) 19th century
  2. 2 Wilhelm, German Crown Prince Wilhelm, German Crown Prince Last German crown prince (1882–1951) 19th century
  3. 3 Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II, German Emperor German Emperor from 1888 to 1918 1859–1941 · 19th century
  4. 4 Wilhelm Reich Wilhelm Reich Austrian psychoanalyst (1897–1957) 19th century
  5. 5 Wilhelm Canaris Wilhelm Canaris German admiral (1887–1945) 19th century
  6. 6 Wilhelm Frick Wilhelm Frick German Nazi Party politician (1877–1946) 19th century
  7. 7 Wilhelm Röntgen Wilhelm Röntgen German physicist (1845–1923) 19th century
  8. 8 Wilhelm Mohnke Wilhelm Mohnke German SS commander (1911–2001) Contemporary
  9. 9 Wilhelm Wundt Wilhelm Wundt German founder of psychology (1832–1920) 19th century
  10. 10 Wilhelm Burgdorf Wilhelm Burgdorf German army general (1895–1945) 19th century
  11. 11 Wilhelm Pieck Wilhelm Pieck President of East Germany from 1949 to 1960 1876–1960 · 19th century
  12. 12 Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb German field marshal (1876–1956) 19th century
  13. 13 Wilhelm Steinitz Wilhelm Steinitz Austrian-American chess player (1836–1900) 19th century
  14. 14 Wilhelm Furtwängler Wilhelm Furtwängler German conductor and composer (1886–1954) 19th century
  15. 15 Wilhelm Maybach Wilhelm Maybach German engine designer and industrialist (1846–1929) 19th century
  16. 16 Wilhelm von Humboldt Wilhelm von Humboldt Prussian philosopher (1767–1835) 18th century
  17. 17 Wilhelm Bittrich Wilhelm Bittrich Nazi German military officer 1894–1979 · 19th century
  18. 18 Wilhelm Marx Wilhelm Marx Chancellor of Germany, 1923–1925, 1926–1928 1863–1946 · 19th century
  19. 19 Wilhelm List Wilhelm List German field marshal (1880–1971) 19th century
  20. 20 Wilhelm Liebknecht Wilhelm Liebknecht German social democratic politician (1826–1900) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Wilhelm, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Wilhelm?

The median living Wilhelm is about 27 years old. Half of all living Wilhelms are between 12 and 54 years old.

How many people named Wilhelm are alive today?

An estimated 1,200 people named Wilhelm are alive in the United States, based on 1,828 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Wilhelm mean?

A male given name from German, equivalent to English William.

How popular is the name Wilhelm in 2025?

Wilhelm ranked #4,133 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 26 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Wilhelm?

1,828 babies have been named Wilhelm in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wilhelm most popular?

Wilhelm peaked in 2014, when 38 newborns received the name.

Is Wilhelm a boy or girl name?

Wilhelm is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Wilhelm rising or falling?

Wilhelm has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Wilhelm become more popular?

Wilhelm is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Wilhelm in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Wilhelm?

Well-known people named Wilhelm include Wilhelm Keitel (military personnel), Wilhelm, German Crown Prince (politician), Wilhelm II, German Emperor (politician).

Names like Wilhelm

Names that sound and feel close to Wilhelm: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Wilhelm with similar names → More names starting with W →