Wilhelm is a traditional German given name derived from the Old High German words 'wil' meaning 'will' and 'helm' meaning 'helmet'. It was introduced into England during the Anglo-Saxon period and became quite popular among royalty, with several English kings named William, such as William I (also known as William the Conqueror) and William IV. In many European languages, Wilhelm is a cognate of William.
The name Wilhelm experienced a gradual increase in popularity throughout the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries, with notable peaks occurring around World War I (1914-1918) and again in the late 1950s to early 1960s. However, it began to decline significantly from the late 1960s onwards, reaching its lowest point in recent years (2019-2023), indicating a shift in preference towards other names.