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Home › Baby Names Directory › Wills

Wills

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Wills

Pronounced WILZ /ˈwɪlz/Medium

Meaning: A pet form of William, from the Germanic wil ('will; resolve') and helm ('helmet; protection') — 'resolute protector.' Famously the nickname of Prince William ('Wills').Low

In 30 seconds: A friendly short form: Wills is a pet form of William, 'resolute protector' (said 'WILZ'). Warm and familiar.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningA pet form of William, from the Germanic wil ('will; resolve') and helm ('helmet; protection') — 'resolute protector.' Famously the nickname of Prince William ('Wills').
U.S. rank (2023)#14077 ↗ Rising
2023 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2021
Total births (all-time)≈ 57
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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202119212023

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

As a boy's name, Wills is a friendly short form of William ('resolute protector'). It reads warm and familiar — rare as a full given name in the U.S. (said 'WILZ').

It appears only very rarely as a given name in the U.S. Rare, warm, and familiar.

Did you know? Wills is a warm pet form of William ('resolute protector') — best known as Prince William's family nickname, which we note (said 'WILZ').
Overall data confidence 44%
References — Wills — pet form of William; 'resolute protector'

Variations

WillWilWillz

Nicknames

WillWilly

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Wills…

William— the name it shortens
Liam— a like William-family name
Will— a like short form
Wilder— a like Wil- boy's name

Explore names like Wills

By themeenglishshortnickname-nameprotectorfriendly

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Wills mean?

Wills is a pet form of William, 'resolute protector' (wil, 'will,' + helm, 'protection').

How do you pronounce Wills?

It's said WILZ /ˈwɪlz/ — one syllable.

Is Wills a boy or girl name?

Wills is a boy's name.

How popular is Wills?

Wills is extremely rare as a given name in the U.S.

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