Williams

Williams is a patronymic form o the name William that oreeginatit in medieval InglandReaney & Wilson p.493 an later came tae be extremely popular in Wales. The meanin is derived frae son or descendant o Guillemin, the French form o William.  Derived frae an Auld French gien name wi Germanic elements; will = desire, will; an helm = helmet, protection. It is the seicont maist common surname in Wales an the third maist common surname in the whole o the Unitit Kinrick, the third maist common in the Unitit States o Americae an Australie an the fift maist common in New Zealand.Unitit States Census Bureau (9 May 1995). s:1990 Census Name Files dist.all.last (1-100). Retrieved on 25 February 2008.

 Earliest uisage 
The earliest recordit uise o the surname;
in the form o Willam is frae 1279 in Oxfordshire,Reaney & Wilson p.493, sourced from the Rotuli Hundredorum 1812, 1818
in the form o William is frae 1299 in Whitby, Yorkshire,
in the form o Williames is frae 1307 in Staffordshire.Reaney & Wilson p.493, sourced from the Staffordshire Assize Rolls

Notes

References
PH Reaney & RM Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames:The Standard Guide to English Surnames, Oxford University Press, 1995, ISBN 0-19-863146-4.

Category:Inglis-leid surnames
Category:Surnames oreeginatin in England
Category:Surnames o Welsh origin
Category:Surnames derived frae patronyms