Wilhelm

Wilhelm is a male given name and a family name .

Origin and meaning

The name comes from the Altniederdeutschen and Old High German and can be of willio ( will , determination) and helmet ( helmet , protection) or halogen ( Halm derive upright). His first better-known name bearer was Saint Wilhelm (Willehalm) of Aquitaine (745-812), cousin of Emperor Charlemagne and founder of the Gellone Abbey, today Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert . Its spread in north-western Europe was mainly promoted by the namesake in the families of the Orange and Hohenzollerns .

distribution

The name Wilhelm was one of the ten most frequently given boy names in Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and around the turn of the century was even number one in the frequency statistics a few times. Since the 1920s, its popularity gradually declined.

Name days

variants

The name is common worldwide in different variants:

Bill , short for William
Gilliam , English
Guglielmo , Italian
Guilherme , Portuguese
Guilielmus , Latin
Guillaume , more rarely "Guilleaume", French
Guille , Spanish short form
Guillem , Catalan
Guillén , Aragonese
Guillermo , Spanish
Liam , Irish
Pim , Dutch short form
Vilém , Czech
Vilhelm , Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Vilhjálmur , Icelandic, Faroese
Viliam , Slovak
Vilim , several Slavic languages
Vilimas , Lithuanian
Vilis , Latvian; also Vilhelms or Viļums
Viljem , several Slavic languages
Viljo , Finnish and Estonian short form of Vilhelm
Ville , Finnish
Vilmos , Hungarian
Wellem , Rhenish variant (see in particular Jan Wellem )
Wëllem , Luxembourgish
Welm , German short form
Wilgelm , Russian
Wiliam , Polish
Wilke , Frisian variant
Wilko , northern German variant
Will , short for William
Willem , Dutch / Flemish / Low German
Willi and Willy , short form (the former also as an abbreviation of Willibald )
William , English
Willihalm (= Widhalm?)
Willken , Low German
Willm , another Low German short form
Wilm , Low German short form (especially from Willem)
Wim , Dutch short form
Wylem , Sorbian

Well-known namesake

Ruler

Wilhelm I (1781–1864), King of Württemberg.
Wilhelm I (1797–1888), King of Prussia and from 1871 German Emperor
Wilhelm II. (1848–1921), King of Württemberg.
Wilhelm II. (1859–1941), King of Prussia and from 1888 to 1918 German Emperor

First name

Wilhelm Blaschke (1885–1962), Austrian mathematician
Wilhelm von Bourges (Wilhelm von Donjean, around 1150–1209), Archbishop of Bourges, saint
Wilhelm von Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach (1498–1563), German-Baltic clergyman, Archbishop of Riga
Wilhelm von Braun (politician) (1790–1872), German Minister of State
Wilhelm Braun (sculptor) (1880–1945), German sculptor
Wilhelm von Braun (lawyer) (1883–1941), German lawyer and diplomat
Wilhelm Braun (politician, 1887) (1887–1971), German politician (CDU)
Wilhelm Braun (librarian) (1889–1974), German librarian and historian
Wilhelm Braun (cross-country skier) (1897–1969), German cross-country skier
Wilhelm Braun (painter) (1906–1986), German painter
Wilhelm Braun (Germanist) (1929–2010), German Germanist
Wilhelm Braun-Feldweg (1908–1998), German industrial designer
Wilhelm Adolf von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1745–1770), German colonel
Wilhelm Busch (1832–1908), German poet and draftsman
Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886–1954), German conductor
Wilhelm Gemoll (1850–1934), German classical philologist
Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German literary and linguist
Wilhelm Heyn (1910– ??), German obstacle runner
Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835), German scholar and diplomat
Wilhelm Jahn (musician) (1835–1900), Austro-Hungarian musician and conductor
Wilhelm Jahn (officer) (1866–1924), German lieutenant general
Wilhelm Jahn (Police President) (1891–1952), German Police President and SA Obergruppenführer
Wilhelm Jahn (athlete) (1889–1973), German middle-distance runner, wandering bird, officer and publisher
Wilhelm Kaisen (1887–1979), German politician (SPD), Mayor of Bremen
Wilhelm Keitel (1882–1946), German field marshal
Wilhelm Liebknecht (1826–1900), German party functionary (SPD)
Wilhelm Mensing-Braun (1899–1967), Austrian theologian
Wilhelm Messerschmitt (1898–1978), German aircraft designer and entrepreneur, see Willy Messerschmitt
Wilhelm Müller (preacher) (around 1633 – after 1673), German preacher and writer
Wilhelm Müller (politician, 1790) (1790–1844), German politician, MdL Hessen
Wilhelm Müller (poet) (1794–1827), German poet
Wilhelm Müller (organ builder) († after 1865), German organ builder in Berlin
Wilhelm Müller (politician, 1821) (1821–1899), German businessman and politician
Wilhelm Müller (politician, 1830) (1830–1915), German farmer and politician (DRP), MdR
Wilhelm Müller (physician, 1832) (1832–1909), German pathologist
Wilhelm Müller (1834–1897), German violinist, see Gebrüder Müller
Wilhelm Müller (Lieutenant General) (1834–1902), Prussian Lieutenant General
Wilhelm Mueller (1850–1921), German officer
Wilhelm Müller (medic, 1855) (1855–1937), German surgeon
Wilhelm Müller (judge) , German judge and association official
Wilhelm Müller (politician, 1875) (1875–1957), German politician (SPD)
Wilhelm Müller (physicist) (1880–1968), German physicist
Wilhelm Müller (ethnologist) (1881–1916), German ethnographer
Wilhelm Müller (engineer) (1882–1956), German railway engineer
Wilhelm Müller (pedagogue) (1886–1969), German pedagogue
Wilhelm Müller (politician, 1889) (1889–1965), German politician (NSDAP), Lord Mayor of Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelm Müller (politician, February 1890) (1890–1957), German politician (KPD)
Wilhelm Müller (politician, December 1890) (1890–1944), German politician (SPD)
Wilhelm Müller (lawyer) (1902–1993), German lawyer
Wilhelm Müller (politician, 1908) (1908–1983), German politician (KPD / SED), resistance fighter and editor
Wilhelm Müller (handball player) (1909–1984), German handball player
Wilhelm Müller (Buddhist) (1912–1990), German resistance fighter and Buddhist
Wilhelm Müller (journalist) (1912 / 1913–1995), German journalist
Wilhelm Müller (painter) (1928–1999), German painter and graphic artist
Wilhelm Müller-Erzbach (1839–1914), German scientist and educator
Wilhelm Müller-Lenhartz (1873–1952), German agricultural scientist and politician (DNVP)
Wilhelm Müller-Schönefeld (1867–1944), German painter
Wilhelm Müller-Wille (1906–1983), German geographer
Wilhelm Christian Müller (1752–1831), German music writer, cantor and teacher
Wilhelm J. Müller (1901–1990), German civil engineer and university professor
Wilhelm Jeremias Müller (1725–1801), German architect
Wilhelm Konrad Hermann Müller (1812–1890), German specialist in German
Wilhelm Max Müller (1862–1919), German-American orientalist
Wilhelm Noll (racing driver) (1926–2017), German motorcycle racing driver
Wilhelm Olbers (1758–1840), German astronomer and mathematician
Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960), President of the GDR
Wilhelm Rammo (1925–2009), German boxer
Wilhelm Reich (1897–1957), Austrian psychoanalyst
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923), German physicist
Wilhelm Rohr (1877–1930), developer of the storm battalions, see Willy Rohr
Wilhelm von Rubruk (around 1217–1270), missionary and explorer
Moritz Wilhelm Paul Schwartz (1864–1919), German-Baltic pastor and martyr
Wilhelm Sebastian (1903–1978), German racing car driver and mechanic
Wilhelm Steinitz (1836–1900), Austrian chess player
Wilhelm Strienz (1900–1987), German singer
Wilhelm Tell , Swiss national hero
Wilhelm Wagner (medic, 1848) (1848–1900), German medic
Wilhelm Wagner (architect) (1875–1953), German architect
Wilhelm Wagner (geologist) (1884–1970), German geologist and university professor
Wilhelm Wagner (painter) (1887–1968), German painter and graphic artist
Wilhelm Wagner (entomologist) (1895–1977), German entomologist
Wilhelm Wagner (physician, 1899) (1899–1976), German surgeon and university professor
Wilhelm Wagner (SS member) (1904–1946), German SS main squad leader
Wilhelm Wagner (politician, 1936) (* 1936), German politician
Wilhelm Wannemacher (* 1927), German educator, non-fiction author and writer
Wilhelm Werner (geodesist) (1850–1915), German geodesist and university professor
Wilhelm Werner (automobile racing driver) (1874–1947), German automobile racing driver
Wilhelm Werner (art collector) (1886–1975), German carpenter and caretaker of the Kunsthalle Hamburg
Wilhelm Werner (SS member) (1888–1945), German naval officer, politician (NSDAP) and SS leader
Wilhelm Werner (Aktion-T4 victim) (1898–1940), German psychiatric patient, draftsman and Aktion-T4 victim
Wilhelm Wetlesen (1871–1925), Norwegian painter and illustrator
Wilhelm Wieben (1935–2019), German news anchor
Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920), German philosopher and psychologist

family name

A.

Adolf Wilhelm (philologist) (1864–1950), Austrian epigraphist and classical philologist
Adolf Wilhelm (author) , German author
Alex Wilhelm (* 1989/1990), German music manager
Alexander Wilhelm (* 1967), German politician (SPD), MdL
Alfred Wilhelm (1920–2015), German politician (CDU)
Andreas Wilhelm (architect) (1906–1967), Swiss architect and master city architect in Ulm
Andreas Wilhelm (conductor) (* 1947), German conductor and pianist
Andreas Wilhelm (sports scientist) (* 1957/1958), German sports scientist
Andreas Wilhelm (writer) (* 1971), German writer
Anja Wilhelm (* 1968), German gymnast
Anne Wilhelm (1944–2013), Swiss painter
Arno Wilhelm (* 1988), German writer
August Benedikt Wilhelm (1793–1832), German historian and educator

B.

Brigitte Wilhelm (* 1939), German sculptor

C.

Carl Wilhelm (choir director) (1815–1873), German choir director and composer
Carl Wilhelm (director) (1872–1936), Austrian director
Charles Wilhelm (1929–1992), American baseball player
Charles E. Wilhelm (* 1941), American general
Christoph Wilhelm (* 1987), German American football player
Cornelia Wilhelm (* 1964), German historian

D.

David Wilhelm (* 1956), American entrepreneur and political advisor

E.

Erich Wilhelm (1912–2005), Austrian Evangelical Lutheran theologian
Ernst Wilhelm (1845–1913), German violist
Ernst Theodor Wilhelm (1904–?), German Germanist and writer
Erwin Wilhelm (1926–2012), German soccer player
Eugen Wilhelm (1866–1951), German-French lawyer and author

F.

Felix Wilhelm (1863–1941), German educator and local researcher
Franz Wilhelm (medalist) (1846–1938), Stuttgart metal goods factory Wilh. Mayer and Frz. Wilhelm
Franz Wilhelm (archivist) (1870–1942), Austrian archivist
Franz Wilhelm (entrepreneur) (1925-2018), German entrepreneur (Vaillant)
Franz Wilhelm (dancer) (1945–2015), Austrian dancer
Franz Heinrich Meinolf Wilhelm (1725–1794), German physician and chemist
Friedrich Wilhelm (Germanist) (1882–1939), German Germanist
Friedrich Wilhelm (politician) (1916-2000), German politician (CSU)
Friedrich Wilhelm (Indologist) (* 1932), German Indologist
Friedrich Karl Wilhelm (1890–1948), German SS Untersturmführer
Fritz Wilhelm (musician, 1894) (1894–1944 / 1945), Austrian pianist
Fritz Wilhelm (politician) (1916-2000), German district administrator and politician (CSU)
Fritz Wilhelm (Mayor) (1923–2017), German Mayor of Much from 1975 to 1994
Fritz Wilhelm (graphic artist) (1939–1971), German-Austrian graphic artist
Fritz Wilhelm (musician, 1939) (1939–2000), German zither player and music teacher

G

Georg Wilhelm (legal scholar) (* 1942), Austrian civil law scholar
Gerhard Wilhelm (1918–2009), German choir director
Gernot Wilhelm (* 1945), German ancient orientalist
Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm (1758–1811), German Protestant pastor and writer
Günter Wilhelm (1908–2004), German architect and university professor
Günther Wilhelm (* 1949), German photographer and graphic artist

H

Hannes Wilhelm-Kell (* 1970), German politician (Lusatian Alliance)
Hans Wilhelm (screenwriter) (1904–1980), German screenwriter
Hans Wilhelm (chemist) (1919–1994), German chemist
Hans F. Wilhelm (1905–1980 / 1983), German film and dubbing director, documentary filmmaker and dubbing actor
Hans Hermann Wilhelm (1892–1975), German educator and writer
Hans-Otto Wilhelm (1940-2019), German politician (CDU)
Harald Wilhelm (* 1966), German manager
Heinrich Wilhelm (1885–1947), German politician (SPD)
Heinz Wilhelm (* 1950), German diplomat
Hellmut Wilhelm (1905–1990), German sinologist
Helmut Wilhelm (geophysicist) (* 1939), German geophysicist and university professor
Helmut Wilhelm (politician) (* 1946), German politician (Alliance 90 / The Greens)
Helmut Wilhelm (physician) (* 1954), German ophthalmologist and university professor
Herbert Wilhelm (* 1922), German economist
Hermann Wilhelm , pseudonym of Hermann Kasack (1896–1966), German writer and poet
Hermann Wilhelm (painter) (1897–1970), German painter and university professor
Hermann Wilhelm (local history researcher) (* 1949), German curator, local history researcher, non-fiction author and painter
Holger Matthias Wilhelm (* 1976), German actor
Horst Wilhelm , pseudonym of Thea Graziella (1881–1942), German writer
Horst Wilhelm (singer) (1927-2000), German singer (tenor)
Horst Wilhelm (psychologist) (* 1931), German psychologist and local historian
Hoyt Wilhelm (1922–2002), American baseball player

I.

Ira Wilhelm (* 1962), German translator

J

Jan Wilhelm (* 1942), German lawyer and university professor
Jean Wilhelm (1929–2007), Swiss politician (CVP)
Jean-Pierre Wilhelm (1912–1968), German gallery owner
Jochen Wilhelm (* 1945), German economist and university professor
Jochen Wilhelm (cycling coach) (1943–2017), German cycling coach
Jodok Friedrich Wilhelm (1797–1843), Austrian plasterer
Johann Wilhelm (1595 – after 1669), German carpenter and architect
Josef Wilhelm (Turner) (1892–1956), Swiss gymnast
Josef Wilhelm (officer) (* 1921), German major general
Josef Wilhelm (theologian) (* 1947), Austrian theologian
Joseph Wilhelm (* 1954), German entrepreneur
Jürgen Wilhelm (politician) (* 1949), German manager and politician (SPD)
Jürgen Wilhelm (soccer player) (* 1950), German soccer player
Julius Wilhelm (librettist) (1871–1941), Austrian writer
Julius Wilhelm (monument conservator) (1873–1961), German merchant, publisher and monument conservator
Julius Wilhelm (Romanist) (1896–1983), German Romanist

K

Karin Wilhelm (* 1947), German-Austrian professor for the history of art and architecture
Karl Wilhelm (botanist) (1848–1933), German botanist, mycologist and university professor, author abbreviation “ K.Wilh. "

Kate Wilhelm (1928–2018), American writer

Kathrin Wilhelm (* 1981), Austrian ski racer

Kati Wilhelm (* 1976), German biathlete

Kerstin Fiedler-Wilhelm (* 1968), German politician

Klaus-Peter Wilhelm (* 1960), German dermatologist and university professor

Kurt Wilhelm (rabbi) (1900–1965), German rabbi and university professor

Kurt Wilhelm (director) (1923–2009), German director and author

Kurt Wilhelm (Büttenredner) (1924–2013), German Büttenredner

Kurt Wilhelm (soccer player) , Austrian soccer player

Kurt Wilhelm-Kästner (1893–1976), German art historian and university professor

L.

Leo Wilhelm (1913–1988), German politician (CDO), Member of the Bundestag
Ludwig Wilhelm (local history researcher) (1867–1936), German teacher and local history researcher

M.

Manfred Wilhelm (chemist) (* 1966), German chemist and university professor

Manfred Wilhelm (designer) , German communication designer and publisher

Manuel Wilhelm (* 1980), German rugby union player

Markus Wilhelm (* 1956), Austrian publicist, environmental activist and mountain farmer

Meinolph Wilhelm; see Franz Heinrich Meinolf Wilhelm

Melanie Wilhelm , known under the pseudonym Melbeatz (* 1977), German music producer

Michael Wilhelm (* 1955), German politician

O

Ottmar Wilhelm (1898–1974), Chilean physician and biologist
Otto Wilhelm (engineer) (1906–1975), German engineer and university professor
Otto Wilhelm , German soccer player
Otto Wilhelm (local history researcher) (1927–2014), German local history researcher

P

Paul Wilhelm (painter) (1886–1965), German painter and graphic artist
Paul Wilhelm (politician) (1935-2008), German politician (CSU)
Peter Wilhelm (pastor) (1877–1947), German pastor and politician
Peter Wilhelm (writer) (* 1959), German writer

R.

Reinhard Wilhelm (* 1946), German computer scientist and university professor
Richard Wilhelm (1873–1930), German sinologist, theologian and missionary
Richard Wilhelm (athlete) (1888–1917), German athlete
Richard Wilhelm (politician) (* 1962), Austrian politician (SPÖ)
Richard H. Wilhelm ( Richard Herman Wilhelm ; 1909–1968), American chemical engineer
Richard O. Wilhelm (* 1932), German glass designer and politician (LDPD)
Rolf Wilhelm (physicist) (* 1939), German physicist
Rolf Wilhelm (politician) (* 1956), German politician (REP)
Rolf Alexander Wilhelm (1927–2013), German composer and conductor
Rudolf Wilhelm (physician) (1893–1959), German orthopedist and university professor
Rudolf Wilhelm (soccer player, 1905) (1905–1977), German soccer player
Rudolf Wilhelm (soccer player, 1936) (* 1936), German soccer player
Rudolf Wilhelm (economist) (1958–2008), German economist and university professor

S.

Sieghard Wilhelm (* 1947), German politician (Alliance 90 / The Greens)
Steffen Wilhelm (* 1981), German comedian, actor, cabaret artist and director
Stephan Wilhelm (* 1983), German ice hockey player

T

Theodor Wilhelm (1906–2005), German educator
Thomas Wilhelm (athlete) (* 1984), German athlete
Thomas Wilhelm (choreographer) , choreographer
Thomas Wilhelm (ice hockey player) (* 1986), German ice hockey player
Tim Wilhelm (* 1977), German television presenter
Toni Wilhelm (* 1983), German windsurfer

U

Ulrich Wilhelm (* 1961), German journalist
Uwe Wilhelm (* 1957), German author, film producer and film director
Uwe Wilhelm (historian) (* 1957), German historian and university professor

W.

Walter Wilhelm (legal scholar) (1928–2002), German legal scholar
Walter Wilhelm (re-poet) (active around 1980), German re-poet
Walter Woldemar Wilhelm (1886 – after 1945), German politician and writer
Wella Wilhelm , German politician (SED), MdL
Werner Wilhelm (geodesist) (1850–1935), German engineer, geodesist and university professor
Werner Wilhelm (1919–2006), German civil servant and politician (SPS, SPD), Member of the Bundestag
Willy Wilhelm (* 1958), Dutch judoka
Winfried Wilhelm (1937–2014), German journalist
Wolfgang Wilhelm (screenwriter) (1906–1984), German-British screenwriter

Web links

Wiktionary: Wilhelm - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

swell

↑ Otto Wimmer, Hartmann Melzer: Lexicon of names and saints. Nikol Verlag, Hamburg, 2002, ISBN 3-933203-63-5 , p. 850
↑ Statistics "Popular first names"
↑ Rada języka Polskiego : Aneks do obowiązującego wykazu Imion. In: rjp.pan.pl. 2007, Retrieved November 16, 2012 (Polish).

[1] Otto Wimmer, Hartmann Melzer: Lexicon of names and saints. Nikol Verlag, Hamburg, 2002, ISBN 3-933203-63-5 , p. 850

[2] Statistics "Popular first names"

[Wiliam-3] Rada języka Polskiego : Aneks do obowiązującego wykazu Imion. In: rjp.pan.pl. 2007, Retrieved November 16, 2012 (Polish).