Total births
6,126
Boys' name · since 1880
Williams
Williams has 6,126 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1950 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2528
- among boys today
- 6,126
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
6,126 babies have been named Williams since 1880, making it today's #2528 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Williams has been recorded 6,126 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2528 nationally and more common than 82% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2528 among boys today
- 6,126 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 82% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Williams is currently the #2528 boys' name in America, more common than 82% of boys - 6,126 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2528
- among boys today
- 6,126
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Williams vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2528
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 82% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
10% of everyone ever named Williams was born in this single decade.
1950
Single peak year
86 babies were named Williams in 1950 - its busiest year on record.
How Williams compares
6,126 Top 11% higher than 89% of 14,294 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
Williams's all-time total is 17x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Williams | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,126 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 86 | 23 | 22,252 |
Williams's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Williams's full recorded timeline at 1953, 57% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 43% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1889, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1950 peak of 86 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Williams at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1950
Current rank
#2,528
Active since
1880
Williams popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1950)
- 86
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Williams popularity over time - girls
24 total births recorded since 1958 (Williams as girls' name)
Williams by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Williams's strongest decade.
606 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 10% of all-time use.
Williams births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 101
1880s
101 births
- 1890s 106
1890s
106 births
- 1900s 134
1900s
134 births
- 1910s
1910s
386 births
- 1920s
1920s
603 births
- 1930s
1930s
547 births
- 1940s
1940s
573 births
- 1950s
1950s
606 births
- 1960s
1960s
510 births
- 1970s
1970s
404 births
- 1980s
1980s
383 births
- 1990s
1990s
494 births
- 2000s
2000s
580 births
- 2010s
2010s
426 births
- 2020s
2020s
273 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 606 births (10% of all-time use).
How Williams 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 Williams's total volume
Williams vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Williams by state
Where Williams concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 381 | 6.2% |
| #2 | California | | 361 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 345 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 311 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 198 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Florida | | 179 | 2.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 166 | 2.7% |
| #8 | New York | | 155 | 2.5% |
Mississippi share of Williams's total US births 6.2%
Even split
381 of 6,126 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Williams appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Williams? ▼
Williams has been given to 6,126 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2528 as of the latest data. 86 babies were born in 1950, its single highest year.
When was Williams most popular? ▼
Williams was most popular in the 1950s decade with 606 total births. The single peak year was 1950.
Where is Williams most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Williams are Mississippi (381 births), California (361 births), Texas (345 births).
How long has the name Williams been used? ▼
Records for Williams go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Williams? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willie, Willard, Wilbur, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Williams's data
- Williams's usage has stayed within range of its 1950s decade-level peak (606 total births) through the 2020s (273) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Mississippi records the most Williamss (381 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Williams
Nearby Names Like Williams
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Williams
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willie Boy
#1364 450,188 births
Willard Boy
#2958 77,658 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Compare Williams side by side: Williams vs William Williams vs Willie Williams vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Williams
Hardy #2527
5,814 births · Peak 1921
Collins #2529
3,686 births · Peak 2023
Nyyear #2526
187 births · Peak 2024
Antoni #2530
2,353 births · Peak 2007
Kiyansh #2525
214 births · Peak 2024
Heriberto #2531
10,266 births · Peak 1993
Iroh #2524
333 births · Peak 2024
Devan #2532
13,639 births · Peak 1994
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Williams: #2528 Boys' Name - 6,126 Births, Peak 1950." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/williams. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Williams 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 July 2026.