Wilhelm
A Germanic personal name meaning “resolute helmet,” later used as a surname.
The #1,802 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,505 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wilhelm comes from the old Germanic given name built from elements meaning “will, desire, resolve” and “helmet, protection.” In Old High German it appears as Willihelm/Wilhelm, and related Scandinavian and Dutch forms include Vilhelm and Willem. As a surname, it usually began as a hereditary family name taken from an ancestor’s personal name.
History
The name was well established as a medieval given name across Germanic Europe, and the surname developed later from that personal name. Historical spellings and related forms are widespread in German, Dutch, Scandinavian, and French sources. In English contexts, the same root is familiar through the name William, which is historically related.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The first element is the same Germanic root found in names built around the idea of “will” or “resolve,” while the second is the familiar name-element for “helmet” or “protection.”
From the historical record
“M IN ITT /of Guilleminet, a double dim. f. Guillaume, Teut. Wilhelm: v. William. 2 a dim. i. the O.Teut. name-element Minn- : v. Minn' [Fr. dim. suif. -et\ MINISTER (A.-Lat.) i the Latin minister,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)