Alternatives to William

  1. Jack
    • Killian
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "war strife or church"
      • Description:

        Killian – aka Cillian – is a spirited yet resonant Gaelic name that was borne by several Irish saints and could make a distinctive replacement for the dated Kelly. Kylian is another spelling that's gaining traction, thanks to French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. Possible downsides: an unsavory first syllable and a connection to the trendy brew.
    • Liam
      • Origin:

        Irish short form of William
      • Meaning:

        "resolute protection"
      • Description:

        Liam is the top boys' name in the US, holding the Number 1 spot for the past seven years and also ranking as one of the most popular boys' names around the western world.
    • Matthew
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M. The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the fashionable classic—safe and sturdy, yet with a more engaging personality than John or William.
    • Nicholas
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "people of victory"
      • Description:

        Nicholas is derived from the Greek Nikolaos, a name that evolved from the components nikē, meaning "victory", and laos, "people." It shares origins with Nike, the name of the Greek goddess of victory. Nicholas is also a New Testament name that is well-used in literature, such as in Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby.
    • Pim
      • Origin:

        Dutch diminutive of Willem or William
      • Meaning:

        "resolute protection"
      • Description:

        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.
    • Quilliam
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "son of William"
      • Description:

        A really unusual choice that could be used to honor Grandpa Will.
    • Rahaeim
      • Rahamim
        • Samuel
          • Origin:

            Hebrew
          • Meaning:

            "told by God"
          • Description:

            Samuel has been so popular for so long that it's hard to believe it's still climbing, at its highest point since the 1890s.
        • Theodore
          • Origin:

            Greek
          • Meaning:

            "gift of God"
          • Description:

            As unlikely as it may seem, Theodore is a hot new hit name, vaulting into the Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and rising three more points last year to rank at Number 7.
        • Thomas
          • Origin:

            Aramaic
          • Meaning:

            "twin"
          • Description:

            A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100, Thomas feels like a safe bet and a name that fits into any era.
        • Uilliam
          • Origin:

            Irish variation of William
          • Description:

            A spelling that would definitely attract a lot of attention -- and a certain amount of confusion as well.
        • Vilhelm
          • Origin:

            German variation of William
          • Description:

            The way Wilhelm is pronounced anyway, so a pointless spelling variation.
        • Washington
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "home of the Wassa people"
          • Description:

            Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not.
        • Wellington
          • Origin:

            English surname from place name
          • Meaning:

            "people living in the hamlet in the cleared area near the temple"
          • Description:

            Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.
        • Wilbur
          • Origin:

            German
          • Meaning:

            "resolute, brilliant"
          • Description:

            Wilbur is a stylish name in the UK whose merits are just starting to be discovered in the US. Wilbur, the loveable pig who Charlotte of the Web called Some Pig, is an inspirational hero. And Wilbur and Orville Wright were early aviationists.
        • Wilfred
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "desires peace"
          • Description:

            Wilfred is one of those Old Man Names that still sounds fusty in the US but is fashionable in the UK. It comes with readymade short forms Will or Fred and might make an adventurous alternative to the ubiquitous William. The central character of Walter Scott's Ivanhoe is the knight Wilfred of Ivanhoe. Wilfred Owens was a well-known British poet.
        • Wilhelm
          • Origin:

            German variation of William
          • Meaning:

            "resolute protection"
          • Description:

            This dignified German form of William belonged to two German Emperors and Kings of Prussia, as well as a host of other important historical figures. These include composer (Wilhelm) Richard Wagner, philosophers Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, and physicist Wilhelm Roentgen, who discovered the X-ray. It now sounds rather dated in Germany, however, having dropped out of the Top 20 there in the late 1920s and continuing to decline since.
        • Wilhelmina
          • Origin:

            German and Dutch, feminine variation of Wilhelm
          • Meaning:

            "resolute protection"
          • Description:

            Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular choice in the 19th century, but out of favor by the 1950s, in the last decade, the number of babies called Wilhelmina has doubled, with 140 girls receiving the name in 2023.