Names That Mean Protection

The short, cute Pim is a Top 100 boys' name in The Netherlands though little-known outside that country. But in a family overrun with Williams, Pim could make an original nickname setting a modern child apart from father Will and grandpa Bill.

Pim is traditionally a male nickname in the Netherlands, but its relative obscurity in the US would allow you to get away with using it for a daughter.

If you want to go waaaaay beyond William, consider this Welsh form, which can also be spelled Gwilym, Gwilim, or Gwillym.

This spiritual word name is rising for girls and boys.

William was such a popular name, thanks to the Conquerer, in early England that it gave rise to a range of nicknames, including the distinctly Scottish Wilkie. Heard mostly as a surname these days, it's the middle name of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's son James and the first name of writer Collins. While Wilkie could make an adorable short form for a little boy, we'd recommend a more substantial full name such as, well, William.

It's tempting to think of Gui as the Spanish form of Guy, but it's short for Guillermo.

Classic Wilhelmina is still the dominant form of this name, but the more intuitive, streamlined Willamina is rising alongside it. The phonetic spelling eliminates some of Wilhelmina's bulk, taking it from geek-chic to modern feminissima.

The kind of serious old-school name that sounds appealing again; perfect for the intrepid baby namer. More commonly spelled Rosamund but highly unusual these days in either version, with fewer than 20 baby girls named Rosamund in the US last year while Rosamond didn't even register with five.

Wylie is one Celtic surname with as much appeal for girls as for boys. Wylie is ripe for spelling variations: Wiley is as appropriate as Wylie but when you spell it Wylei, as Corey Parker did for his son, you're getting into yooneek naming territory.

One of the least known of the Ken names, though could make an intriguing namesake for an outdated Kenneth.

An ancient saint's name belonging to an 8th century English missionary. Variants include Walpurga and Walpurgis.

Lighter Latin version of Anselm.

Variant of Eamonn, itself a form of Edmund

A great choice for a native Swedish speaker, but not as user-friendly as some of the other international short forms of William — Pim (Dutch), Gwil (Welsh), and of course, Liam (Irish).

Sometimes heard in Scotland, where its heyday was in the times of Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, here we would prefer the Germanic version, Wilhelmina, brought into the spotlight by the conniving character on "Ugly Betty."

A sophisticated surname derived from the Old English Wigmund, later Wymund, from Norse elements meaning "war" and "protection".

A Puritanical virtue name and also a place name, belonging to the state capital of Rhode Island and several other towns and cities in the US.

A beautiful A-heavy choice with international appeal.

Intriguing short form of Guilherme, heard in Portugal and Brazil. Guion Bluford was the first African American to go to space.

Variant of Walburga or Walpurga. In German and Nordic folklore, Walpurgisnacht (St Walpurgis' Night) is when witches and devils meet for revelry.