All you need to know about me is that I’m a minor who will soon be getting his legal name changed. I love the name [name_m]William[/name_m]. Besides the advice to “follow my heart”, I’m looking for others’ opinions. Any and all opinions on the name [name_m]William[/name_m]. [name_m]Feel[/name_m] free to please answer these questions.
- Is this name too much of an “old man” name?
- Which of the common nicknames do you prefer, if any?
- What do you imagine a guy with this name to look like?
- What “vibes” do you get from this name, if any?
- Ignoring statistics, do you see this name as popular?
- [name_f]Do[/name_f] you know anyone named [name_m]William[/name_m]? If so, what is he like?
- If you had a son, would you name him [name_m]William[/name_m]?
- [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think this name could be seen as and/or made into a joke?
I’m aware these all may seem silly, I’m just trying to think of everything in my range at once. Society is scary. Thank you.
Most of the [name_m]Williams[/name_m] I know are under 30, so I don’t see it as an old man name at all. I think it’s one of those names that are so classic that it doesn’t seem out of place at all in any age group.
My impression is also that [name_m]William[/name_m] is solid, well-known name rather than extremely popular. If I had to guess (haven’t looked anything up), it’s one of those that tend to stay in the top 100 but usually aren’t the most popular choice.
I love the simple nickname [name_m]Will[/name_m] - sounds friendly and straightforward. [name_m]William[/name_m] is also such a well-know name that I doubt anyone would get teased for it. I would, absolutely, be happy to call my son [name_m]William[/name_m].
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Is this name too much of an “old man” name?
No, it feels classic as opposed to old man
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Which of the common nicknames do you prefer, if any?
[name_u]Billy[/name_u]
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What do you imagine a guy with this name to look like?
Anything really. It’s versatile and popular
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What “vibes” do you get from this name, if any?
Studious and quite serious
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Ignoring statistics, do you see this name as popular?
Yes
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[name_f]Do[/name_f] you know anyone named William? If so, what is he like?
I’ve known several kids called [name_m]William[/name_m]. Some have been quiet and sweet, one was a bit wild.
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If you had a son, would you name him William?
No
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[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think this name could be seen as and/or made into a joke?
No
If my SO and I have a son, we are dead set on naming him [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] [name_m]William[/name_m], so I would 100% use it. I know a few [name_m]Williams[/name_m], all are under the age of 40, and all of them go by [name_m]Will[/name_m] (which is my preferred nickname for it). Given how many [name_m]Williams[/name_m] I know, I’m guessing it’s fairly popular, but I definitely know more [name_m]Harrys[/name_m], Jacks, Noahs, etc.
I don’t really have a set idea of what a [name_m]William[/name_m] looks like because all of the ones I know are quite different from each other, but all of them are lovely, so I only get positive ‘vibes’.
Welcome to Nameberry!
- Definitely not! I know people all across the age spectrum with this name. It’s very traditional and classic, but I don’t think of it as an old man name at all.
- I like [name_m]Will[/name_m] or [name_u]Liam[/name_u]! [name_u]Billy[/name_u] is ok. The only one I can think of that I’m not a big fan of is [name_m]Bill[/name_m]. And I’ve never heard this one used before, but I think [name_m]Leo[/name_m]/Lio could also work!
- I don’t really have a specific image in my head–this name seems very malleable/flexible to me.
- Traditional and classic; royal yet down-to-earth.
- Yes, very. See next answer.
- I have known a lot of [name_m]Williams[/name_m], to the point that I really have no specific association with the name.
- No, but not because there’s anything wrong with it by any means! It’s just not my style; I tend to prefer slightly less classic/royal names. It’s a very nice name though!
- Not unless people were getting very creative, lol. This one doesn’t seem at all tease-prone. It’s a solid, familiar, perennial, can’t-go-wrong classic.
I hope this helps–good luck!
I have a smidgen of bias, my ex was named [name_m]William[/name_m], he went by [name_m]Bill[/name_m]. Funnily enough, my dog growing up was named [name_u]Willie[/name_u]. I’ll do my best to provide opinions without that clouding it too much.
It’s definitely not an “old man” name. It is very timeless and classic, and will suit anyone - baby to elder.
My preferred nickname is [name_m]Will[/name_m]. [name_u]Liam[/name_u] is also okay, but is so popular on it’s own that I wouldn’t personally use it. I think the chosen nickname kind of determines the vibe it gives off. [name_f]My[/name_f] ex went by [name_m]Bill[/name_m], but that was because that is what his mom chose when he was a baby. He always thought of it as redneck-ish (which he hated) and tried to switch to [name_m]Will[/name_m] (which he saw as more artistic) but it didn’t stick.
The nickname for [name_m]William[/name_m] are probably more likely to get jokes - we call our dog “silly [name_u]Willie[/name_u] walnut” lovingly. [name_f]My[/name_f] ex got [name_m]Bill[/name_m] [name_m]Nye[/name_m] the [name_u]Science[/name_u] [name_m]Guy[/name_m] a lot. And “pay your [name_m]Bill[/name_m]” sometimes too. Nothing horrible, but kids will make up nicknames for ANYTHING.