a masculine name: dim. Bill, Billie, Billy, Liam, Will, Willie, Willy; equiv. Du. Willem, Fr. Guillaume, Ger. Wilhelm, It. Guglielmo, Sp. Guillermo
1027?-87; duke of Normandy who invaded England & defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings: king of England (1066-87): called William the Conqueror
1533-84; prince of Orange (1544-84) & count of Nassau (1559-84): founder and 1st stadholder (1579-84) of the Netherlands republic: called William the Silent
1797-1888; king of Prussia (1861-88) & emperor of Germany (1871-88): son of Frederick William III
1056-1100; king of England (1087-1100): son of William the Conqueror: called William Rufus
1859-1941; emperor of Germany & king of Prussia (1888-1918): called Kaiser Wilhelm
1650-1702; king of England, Scotland, & Ireland (1689-1702): stadholder of the Netherlands (1672-1702)
1765-1837; king of Great Britain & Ireland (1830-37): son of George III
See William in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(wĭlˈyəm) also Wil·helm(vĭlˈhĕlm) 1882-1951.
German crown prince. The son of Emperor William II, he commanded troops in the Battle of Verdun (1916) and renounced the crown at the close of World War I.