William, of Germanic origin, means 'resolute protection.' It was brought to England by the Normans and has been widely used throughout history, worn by kings and commoners alike.
"William saw a significant spike in newborns between 1957 and 1958, with eight times as many babies born that year compared to the other recorded years (1953, 1957, and 1965), each of which had five births. Over these four years, a total of twenty-three infants named William were welcomed."