Sibling names for William
Names that sound like they belong in the same family as William usually share its era. These sister and brother names rose and fell on a similar curve to William, whose busiest decade was the 1950s, and are about as common, so neither child's name will feel dated or unusual next to the other.
Sister names for William
Brother names for William
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies, last 5 years | Peak decade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John | 'God is gracious' (Hebrew Yohanan) | #23 | 40,105 | 1950s |
| Charles | man, free man | #48 | 28,876 | 1940s |
| Edward | wealthy guardian | #224 | 8,418 | 1920s |
| George | farmer, earth-worker | #126 | 13,886 | 1920s |
| Arthur | #87 | 15,181 | 1920s | |
| Henry | home + ruler (Germanic) | #5 | 57,254 | 1920s |
| James | English form of Jacob | #6 | 60,133 | 1950s |
| Joseph | 'God will add / increase' | #29 | 37,848 | 1980s |
William's era
William ranked #9 for boys in 2025, against #5 in 2015. Its best year was 1880, at #2. A sibling name from the same wave will sound like it was chosen by the same parents; a name from an older or newer wave can make one child's name feel dated next to the other's.
Timeless names that go with any sibling
These names have been used steadily for a hundred years, so they sit comfortably next to a name from any era, William included.
Girls: Elizabeth, Maria, Lydia, Cecilia, Julia, Nina. Boys: Samuel, Anthony, Vincent, Calvin, Victor, Oscar.
Same era, but close to William
These names follow William's curve too, but we left them out above because they share a first letter or an ending with William. Some parents like that echo; if you do, start here.
- Walter same first letter as William
How these were chosen
Each suggestion's share of US babies has followed a curve close to William's since 1880, and its recent number of babies is within about twelve times William's, so the names are in the same league. Names starting with the same letter as William or with the same ending are left out, so the names go together without matching. Spellings of William itself are excluded.