William Name Popularity Analysis: Historical Trends & Regional Insights
The name William is most popular in Delaware, USA across all generations. It ranks highest as a Boy name among the G.I. Generation generation in the South region. Recent 3-year trends show this Boy name is declining in usage, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been gradually declining. Recent 3-year trends show this Girl name is maintaining steady popularity, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. From 2020-2022, William has been too rising for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, too rising for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, too rising for male in South, stalled for female in South, too rising for male in West, stalled for female in West. The long-term 25-year analysis reveals it has been falling for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, falling for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, too rising for male in South, stalled for female in South, stalled for male in West, stalled for female in West. Across generations, 'William' has shown interesting popularity patterns: Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 2nd out of 7545 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 4th out of 6773 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 6th out of 7552 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 8th out of 10718 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 16th out of 16616 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 8th out of 24088 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 3rd out of 23106 names. Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 498th out of 9107 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 506th out of 9204 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 813th out of 12526 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 769th out of 19264 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 1343rd out of 27321 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 4271st out of 35406 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 7785th out of 30306 names. Discover how the name 'William' has evolved through American history with our comprehensive regional and generational analysis.
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Historical Birth Statistics for the Name "William"
Note: Years with identical rankings may represent different numbers of births. Data is sourced from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.
Yearly Ranking History of "William"
"William" Popularity Across American Generations
| Generation | Gender | Rank | Total Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Generation (1901-1927) | Boy | 2nd of 7545 | 779,228 |
| Silent Generation (1928-1945) | Boy | 4th of 6773 | 819,625 |
| Baby Boomers (1946-1964) | Boy | 6th of 7552 | 1,072,636 |
| Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) | Boy | 8th of 10718 | 499,559 |
| Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) | Boy | 16th of 16616 | 378,895 |
| Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) | Boy | 8th of 24088 | 307,319 |
| Generation Alpha (2013-2024) | Boy | 3rd of 23106 | 166,038 |
| G.I. Generation (1901-1927) | Girl | 498th of 9107 | 3,385 |
| Silent Generation (1928-1945) | Girl | 506th of 9204 | 3,496 |
| Baby Boomers (1946-1964) | Girl | 813th of 12526 | 2,869 |
| Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) | Girl | 769th of 19264 | 2,987 |
| Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) | Girl | 1343rd of 27321 | 1,819 |
| Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) | Girl | 4271st of 35406 | 512 |
| Generation Alpha (2013-2024) | Girl | 7785th of 30306 | 171 |
Regional Popularity of "William" by Generation for Male Names
| TOP(%) | MidWest | Northeast | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Generation (1901-1927) |
0.21% 3rd/1416 |
0.15% 2nd/1379 |
0.08% 2nd/2366 |
0.26% 3rd/1142 |
| Silent Generation (1928-1945) |
0.32% 5th/1546 |
0.19% 3rd/1556 |
0.08% 2nd/2353 |
0.32% 5th/1547 |
| Baby Boomers (1946-1964) |
0.31% 7th/2227 |
0.25% 6th/2430 |
0.21% 6th/2853 |
0.25% 7th/2775 |
| Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) |
0.48% 14th/2937 |
0.23% 8th/3483 |
0.20% 7th/3518 |
0.30% 12th/4044 |
| Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) |
0.68% 25th/3685 |
0.42% 19th/4475 |
0.15% 8th/5194 |
0.41% 26th/6317 |
| Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) |
0.24% 11th/4582 |
0.29% 15th/5164 |
0.05% 4th/7313 |
0.29% 22nd/7463 |
| Generation Alpha (2013-2024) |
0.13% 5th/3984 |
0.31% 14th/4487 |
0.04% 3rd/6822 |
0.22% 14th/6276 |
Regional Popularity of "William" by Generation for Female Names
| TOP(%) | MidWest | Northeast | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Generation (1901-1927) |
32.98% 467th/1416 |
25.53% 352nd/1379 |
22.27% 527th/2366 |
75.39% 861st/1142 |
| Silent Generation (1928-1945) |
30.72% 475th/1546 |
25.00% 389th/1556 |
20.70% 487th/2353 |
60.83% 941st/1547 |
| Baby Boomers (1946-1964) |
36.19% 806th/2227 |
28.11% 683rd/2430 |
26.81% 765th/2853 |
36.40% 1010th/2775 |
| Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) |
25.74% 756th/2937 |
19.98% 696th/3483 |
20.64% 726th/3518 |
27.47% 1111th/4044 |
| Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) |
38.91% 1434th/3685 |
26.64% 1192nd/4475 |
23.37% 1214th/5194 |
26.50% 1674th/6317 |
| Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) |
- |
100.00% 5164th/5164 |
42.34% 3096th/7313 |
94.43% 7047th/7463 |
| Generation Alpha (2013-2024) |
- | - | - | - |
State-by-State Popularity of "William"
This map shows the relative popularity of "William" across states, calculated by dividing the number of births with this name in each state by the total births in that state. This methodology provides a standardized measure of popularity regardless of state population size.