UK boy's name
Wilhelm
A masculine German name derived from Germanic elements meaning "resolute protector".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2015. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Wilhelm is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Wilhelm popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2015 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4747, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 3 births.
This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 2004 to 2015. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Wilhelm. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2016 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Wilhelm ranked #4747 for boys in England and Wales in 2015, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 3 boys were registered as Wilhelm.
- • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Wilhelm as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4747
2015
Births in 2015
3
Latest year
Peak year
2004
3 births
Estimated living
12
2026
Meaning
What does Wilhelm mean?
Wilhelm is a masculine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German name Willahelm, which is a combination of two elements: "wil" meaning "will" or "desire," and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection." The name can be translated to mean "resolute protector" or "helmet of will."
The name's roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 8th to 10th centuries, when it was commonly used among Germanic tribes such as the Franks, Saxons, and Bavarians. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in various historical documents and chronicles from this time period.
In the 11th century, the name gained widespread popularity across Europe, particularly in the Holy Roman Empire, where it was borne by several notable figures, including Wilhelm I, Duke of Aquitaine (c. 915-963), and Wilhelm I, Count of Burgundy (c. 950-1025).
One of the most famous bearers of the name was Wilhelm I, also known as Wilhelm the Conqueror (c. 1028-1087), the first Norman king of England. He played a pivotal role in the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and is recognized as one of the most influential monarchs in English history.
Other notable historical figures with the name Wilhelm include Wilhelm II (1859-1941), the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, whose reign spanned from 1888 to 1918; Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), the German philologist and folklorist, best known for the collection of fairy tales published with his brother Jacob Grimm; and Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923), the German physicist who discovered X-rays and was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.
Wilhelm has also been a popular name among composers and musicians, such as Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886-1954), a renowned German conductor and composer, and Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991), a celebrated German pianist and composer.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including William in English, Guillaume in French, and Guglielmo in Italian, reflecting its widespread use across different cultures and languages.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Wilhelm over time
The chart below shows babies named Wilhelm registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2015. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Wilhelm, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2015, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wilhelm by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Wilhelm was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4776 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | #4042 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Wilhelm
- William 117,982
- Wilfred 5,302
- Will 3,185
- Warren 2,787
- Wyatt 2,604
- Wesley 2,513
- Woody 1,951
- Walter 1,918
- Wiktor 1,354
- Wayne 979
- Wilbur 975
- Wade 902
FAQ
Wilhelm: questions and answers
How popular is the name Wilhelm in the UK right now?
In 2015, Wilhelm was ranked #4747 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Wilhelm most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 3 babies registered as Wilhelm in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Wilhelm?
A masculine German name derived from Germanic elements meaning "resolute protector".
How many people are called Wilhelm in the UK?
A total of 12 babies have been registered as Wilhelm across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.