William is a popular given name of old Germanic origin. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. The modern German and Polish equivalent is "Wilhelm." It is sometimes abbreviated "Wm." The name's shortened familiar version in English is Bill, Billy, Will or Willie. A common Irish form is Liam. Female forms are Willa, Willemina, Wilma and Wilhelmina. William is from the Old Norman form Williame, corresponding to the French spelling Guillaume, and is a cognate from the German Wilhelm, and of Germanic origin: wil = "will or desire"; helm; Old English helm "helmet, protection"; or halm (straw, upright) thus the Old German name Wilhelm and the Old Norse name Vilhjálmr have the same roots. The name William has today been interpreted to mean protector of the kingdom or realm. The first well-known carrier of the name was Charlemagne's cousin William of Gellone, a.k.a. Guilhelm, William of Orange, Guillaume Fierabrace, or William Short-Nose (755—812). This William is immortalized in the Chanson de Guillaume and his esteem may account for the name's subsequent popularity [ - ]

William is a popular given name of old Germanic origin. It became very popular in the English... [ + ]