Where it comes from
wil (will, desire) + helm (helmet, protection)
Also known as
Guillaume (French), Guillermo (Spanish), Wilhelm (German), Liam (Irish short form), Vilhelm (Scandinavian)
Fun Fact
William the Conqueror's invasion of England in 1066 made this Norman name enormously popular, and it has remained among the most common English names ever since. Its Irish short form, Liam, has in recent decades become so widely used on its own that many parents choose it without any connection to William at all.