Wilson
Literal root meaning: “will + helmet”
About the name Wilson
Wilson is a boy name with Proto-Germanic roots, literally “will + helmet”. It is related to William, which is where the meaning comes from.
In 2025, Wilson ranked #673 for boys in the US, with 405 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2004. Since 2000, 99% of US babies named Wilson were boys.
Etymology
A short form of William, which comes from Proto-Germanic, meaning “will” + “helmet”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Wilson”, “William”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #673
- In 2015
- #621
- Babies in 2025
- 405
Popularity of Wilson, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Names similar to Wilson
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.