Wilhelm
/ˈvɪlˌhɛlm/masculine
The English name William is translated as Wilhelm in German.
Wilhelm is a masculine given name and serves as the standard German equivalent to the English name William.
Meaning: male given name (name)
Which one should you use?
While the English form is William, the standard German form is Wilhelm.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɪlˌhɛlm/
Did you know?
- The name Wilhelm is composed of two Proto-Germanic elements meaning 'will' and 'helmet'. It was originally intended to signify a 'resolute protector'.
- While Wilhelm is the male form, the female version Wilhelmine was once a popular name in Germany, though it is now considered very old-fashioned.
- In historical contexts, the name Wilhelm is frequently linked to the 'Wilhelminian era', a period of rapid industrialization and militarism before World War I.
Examples in context
- Wilhelm zog in die Stadt.William moved to the city.This sentence shows Wilhelm being used as the subject of a sentence regarding movement.Tatoeba #12592030 by Waldelfe, translation #11602694 by Amastan
- Welche Hobbys hat Wilhelm?What type of hobbies does William have?This sentence demonstrates using Wilhelm when asking about someone's hobbies.Tatoeba #14052458 by Waldelfe, translation #11620602 by Amastan
- Wilhelm ist ein alter Freund.William is an old friend.This sentence illustrates using Wilhelm to describe a person's relationship to someone else.Tatoeba #13368341 by Waldelfe, translation #11608090 by Amastan
- Hey Willi, wie geht's?Hey Willi, how are you?
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are talking about an old acquaintance at a cafe.
- HannahKennst du eigentlich Wilhelm?Do you actually know Wilhelm?
- MaximilianJa, Wilhelm ist ein netter Kollege.Yes, Wilhelm is a nice colleague.
- HannahHat er dir von dem Projekt erzählt?Did he tell you about the project?
- MaximilianNein, er hat heute noch nicht angerufen.No, he hasn't called yet today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “william” translations and entries Wilhelm, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Wilhelm, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
