Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1950

Williams

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,086 Trend ↑ Rising 16%
Rank 2025
#3,086
among boys · ↓533 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
40
named Williams · -25% vs 2024
How common
1 in 42,702
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1950
86 babies
All-time total
6,150
#1,565 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Williams popularity over time

6,150 babies have been named Williams 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 101 101 10 – #515
1890s – 106 106 11 +5% #524
1900s – 134 134 13 +26% #611
1910s – 386 386 39 +188% #688
1920s – 603 603 60 +56% #784
1930s – 547 547 55 -9% #742
1940s – 573 573 57 +5% #717
1950s 7 606 613 61 +7% #746
1960s – 510 510 51 -17% #948
1970s 7 404 411 41 -19% #1,080
1980s 10 383 393 39 -4% #1,463
1990s – 494 494 49 +26% #1,352
2000s – 580 580 58 +17% #1,798
2010s – 426 426 43 -27% #2,504
2020s (to 2025) – 273 273 46 +7% #2,415

Where Williams 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 40 0.02 outside top 500
2027 41 0.02 outside top 500
2028 41 0.02 outside top 500
2029 41 0.02 outside top 500
2030 41 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Williams

Williams is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,086 in 2025 with 40 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 6,150 American babies have been named Williams. Its peak came in 1950, when 86 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Williams stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Williams?

The median living Williams is about 39 years old; half are between 20 and 63. An estimated 3,800 people named Williams are alive in the United States today.

median 39 020406080100

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

Williams year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 40 #3,086
2024 – – 53 #2,553
2023 – – 57 #2,415
2022 – – 40 #3,095
2021 – – 46 #2,772
2020 – – 37 #3,134
2019 – – 45 #2,804
2018 – – 52 #2,504
2017 – – 42 #2,888
2016 – – 36 #3,226
2015 – – 45 #2,719
2014 – – 38 #3,036
2013 – – 40 #2,893
2012 – – 47 #2,629
2011 – – 45 #2,698
2010 – – 36 #3,179
2009 – – 56 #2,347
2008 – – 68 #2,059
2007 – – 63 #2,162
2006 – – 57 #2,247
2005 – – 53 #2,264
2004 – – 52 #2,236
2003 – – 58 #2,004
2002 – – 62 #1,849
2001 – – 63 #1,798
2000 – – 48 #2,132
1995 – – 29 #2,624
1990 – – 69 #1,352
1985 – – 33 #1,833
1980 5 #12,121 36 #1,653
1975 – – 42 #1,360
1970 – – 39 #1,349
1965 – – 54 #1,011
1960 – – 53 #1,070
1955 – – 75 #854
1950 – – 86 #746
1945 – – 48 #942
1940 – – 73 #717
1935 – – 64 #777
1930 – – 74 #742
1925 – – 47 #1,011
1920 – – 73 #784
1915 – – 53 #854
1910 – – 15 #821
1905 – – 12 #740
1900 – – 15 #679
1895 – – 10 #737
1890 – – 10 #666
1885 – – 11 #603
1880 – – 11 #599

Famous people named Williams

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

  1. 1 Williams Velásquez Williams Velásquez Venezuelan footballer (born 1997) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Williams?

The median living Williams is about 39 years old. Half of all living Williamss are between 20 and 63 years old.

How many people named Williams are alive today?

An estimated 3,800 people named Williams are alive in the United States, based on 6,150 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Williams in 2025?

Williams ranked #3,086 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 40 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Williams?

6,150 babies have been named Williams in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Williams most popular?

Williams peaked in 1950, when 86 newborns received the name.

Is Williams a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Williams rising or falling?

Williams is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Williams become more popular?

Williams looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 41 boys named Williams in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Williams?

Well-known people named Williams include Williams Velásquez (soccer player).

Names like Williams

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

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