Williams (surname)

This article is about the surname. For people with the surname, see List of people with surname Williams.

Williams is a surname of English origin derived from the personal name William and the genitive ending -s.^[2] It is also common in Wales, where it represents an anglicization of the Welsh patronymic ap Gwilym.^[3]

Williams

Pronunciation	/ˈwɪljəmz/, /ˈwɪliəmz/
Origin
Meaning	"William's son"
Frequency Comparisons[1]

Williams is the second most common surname in New Zealand, the third most common in Wales and the United States, and the fourth most common in Australia.^[1][4]

Earliest recorded usage

• Willam is from 1279 in Oxfordshire.^[5]
• William is from 1299 in Whitby, Yorkshire.^[6]
• Williames is from 1307 in Staffordshire.^[7]

See also

• List of people with surname Williams
• Williams baronets
• Williams family of Caerhays and Burncoose
• Willyams