A FIELD REPORT ON THE NAME
William
institutional · pliable · monumental
Origin & Meaning
AI-WrittenThe name descends from Germanic elements combining desire with protection. It crossed into England in 1066 during the Norman Conquest, quickly establishing itself as a standard royal and civilian choice. American clerks registered it in volume from early colonial settlements, securing a permanent place in the upper tiers of the tally.
Also answers toBill, Will, Billy, Liam
Fig. 1 — Births per annum, 1880–2025
SSA Data 1880 peak: 67,156 souls, A.D. 1947 2025
2025: 10,552 born, falling ↘
Estimated Age
52 yrs
Most Williams were born around 1956 — has dialed a rotary phone in earnest.
Peak Reign
1947
№4 that year
Generation
Boomer, 33%
then Gen X 20% · Millennial 16%
Rarity
Top 100 all-time
≈4.22M ever born · now falling
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Estimates from SSA birth records and standard survival rates. Immigration and name changes not counted.
William grew up with
SSA DataThe Twist·banana-seat bikes·45 rpm singles
Data vs. Humans
What the data says
SSA Data
SSA: William peaked in 1947.
Estimated average age: 52.
What people think
Opinion LedgerAwaiting human data — cast the first votes.
William sounds like someone born in —
Fig. 2 — Style Coordinates
AI Seed · Votes Override at n=30 Vintage Modern
Formal Casual
Soft Strong
Cast your vote No account · one tap
In your mind, William sounds more like a —
Voting opens when the ledger goes live. No account. 24h cooldown per question.
Public Opinion Ledger
Ledger Opens Soon
The public has not yet weighed in on William. Early ballots carry the most weight.
* Early ballots — fewer than 30 cast so far. The ledger settles at 30.
First Impressions
AI-WrittenThe name reads as an institutional default that nobody ever found cause to alter. It places a bearer somewhere near his average age of fifty-two, holding jumper cables or waiting out a rain delay under a metal awning. Depending on the decade, the name shifts cleanly from postwar radio host to youth soccer coach without discarding a single letter. It was built to survive committee review.
Field Notes
AI-WrittenField Note 01
The peak arrived in 1947 with about 67,000 births, placing its high-water mark square in the opening rush of the postwar baby boom.
Field Note 02
More than 4,200,000 American boys have carried it into the national ledger, making it the fifth most recorded name in the historical count.
Field Note 03
Baby boomers claim thirty-three percent of living bearers, though 10,552 newborns still took the name in 2025 without a hint of hesitation.
Notable Williams
AI-WrittenWilliam Faulknernovelist, b. 1897
William Carlos Williamspoet and physician, b. 1883
William Shatneractor, b. 1931
William Howard TaftU.S. president, b. 1857
Ephemera — If William were a…
AI-WrittenCity
Richmond, Virginia
Color
Drafting ink black
Job
Bank trustee
Artifact
Pocket measuring tape
And what of your name?