David vs William
David and Williamcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and William #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and William #9 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
David and William over time
David and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 332 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, William in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, William in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1995, William moved ahead of David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #23 and #27 the year before became #28 and #23.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and William averaged 39.8 places apart, ending at #64 and #27.
- Longest-running competitions
David and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 65 years, from 1952 to 2018, ending at #97 and #2.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — David #9 in 1997, William #26 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
David held the stronger position in 52 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, William #1 in 2012.
The order changed in 1997: William moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #62 and #71; by 1997 that had become #77 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, William #3.
New Zealand · Boys67 shared years, 1954–2020
David held the stronger position in 39 of those years, William in 28.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, William #3 in 2008.
The order changed in 1993: William moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #14 and #16; by 1993 that had become #19 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, William #9.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys65 shared years, 1952–2018
David held the stronger position in 43 of those years, William in 22.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, William #1 in 2009.
The order changed in 1995: William moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #23 and #27; by 1995 that had become #28 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, William #2.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 62 of those years, William in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, William #8 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, William #73.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 10 of those years, William in 18.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, William #26 in 1997.
The order changed in 2008: William moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #29 and #32; by 2008 that had become #48 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, William #64.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | David | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- David and William both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys