How old is someone named William?
The average William is 51 years old.
Half of all living Williams are between 32 and 70.
When was William popular?
Parents have been choosing William less often since its peak in 1947; 10,552 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1947 · The most popular names of the 1940s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 69,646 | 0 |
| 1910s | 304,150 | 0 |
| 1920s | 515,057 | 3,000 |
| 1930s | 418,633 | 51,000 |
| 1940s | 557,985 | 240,000 |
| 1950s | 592,617 | 390,000 |
| 1960s | 423,227 | 340,000 |
| 1970s | 285,259 | 260,000 |
| 1980s | 249,961 | 230,000 |
| 1990s | 218,261 | 210,000 |
| 2000s | 194,769 | 190,000 |
| 2010s | 160,165 | 160,000 |
| 2020s | 68,131 | 68,000 |
How many Williams are still alive?
About 2.1 million Williams are alive in the US today. That's 51% of the roughly 4.2 million babies named William since 1880.
Roughly half of all Williams ever born are still living.
What generation is the name William?
About one in three living Williams are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is William an old name?
Yes. William is older than 79 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical William will be 51 in 2056, about the same as today.
Is William a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely boys: 99.6% of living Williams are men.
Names the same age as William
NAME TWIN
William's name twin is Ervin. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Ervin's age curve is the closest match to William's: 94% alike.
Compare: William vs. Liam
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Questions about the name William
How old is the average William?
The average William in the US is 51 years old. The median is 55, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named William?
About 2.1 million Williams are alive in the US today, out of roughly 4.2 million babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name William most popular?
In 1947, when about 67,000 baby boys were named William.
Is William a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 33% of living Williams, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this