Boys' name · since 1880
Wilhelm
1,828 babies named Wilhelm in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2014. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3,491 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,051 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,828
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Wilhelm currently ranks #4051 among boys' names in America, with 1,828 babies recorded since 1880.
Wilhelm has 1,828 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4051 as of the latest data, more common than 71% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3,491 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,051 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,828 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wilhelm ranks #3,491 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,051 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,828 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3,491 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,051 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,828
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Wilhelm's 1,828 recorded births place it above 92.32% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by New York.
How Wilhelm compares
1,828 Top 23% higher than 77% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Wilhelm's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilhelm | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,828 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 38 | 34 | 22,252 |
Wilhelm's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wilhelm splits its recorded history at 1960: 62% of all births land in the more recent half, 38% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1887 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2014 peak of 38 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wilhelm popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 38
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wilhelm by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (233 births, 13% of the file).
2010s was Wilhelm's strongest decade.
233 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Wilhelm births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 41
1880s
41 births
- 1890s 26
1890s
26 births
- 1900s 37
1900s
37 births
- 1910s
1910s
183 births
- 1920s
1920s
122 births
- 1930s
1930s
109 births
- 1940s 67
1940s
67 births
- 1950s
1950s
113 births
- 1960s
1960s
167 births
- 1970s
1970s
124 births
- 1980s
1980s
123 births
- 1990s
1990s
125 births
- 2000s
2000s
205 births
- 2010s
2010s
233 births
- 2020s
2020s
153 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 233 births (13% of all-time use).
How Wilhelm compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Wilhelm's total volume
Wilhelm by state
Where Wilhelm concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 22 | 1.2% |
| #2 | California | | 16 | 0.9% |
| #3 | Minnesota | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #4 | Iowa | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.3% |
22 of 1,828 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Wilhelm's data
- Wilhelm's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (233 total births) through the 2020s (153) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Wilhelms (22 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wilhelm
Nearby Names Like Wilhelm
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilhelm
Compare Wilhelm side by side: Wilhelm vs William Wilhelm vs Willie Wilhelm vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilhelm
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wilhelm: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2014)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Wilhelm draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.