Willem

Dutch variation of William

"resolute protector"

Willem Origin and Meaning

The name Willem is a boy's name meaning "resolute protector".

Common in Holland, the appealing Willem (as in de Kooning and Dafoe) makes William fresh and distinctive.

Willem Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 1952 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Willem

• 1952 Nameberry 2025
• 982 Unique 2019
• 443 Germany 2016
• 62 Netherlands 2024

20 Names Similar to Willem

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Willem.

• Bennet
• Marlon
• Niels
• Piers
• Wendell
• Laurie
• Fredrick
• Irvin
• Maclean
• Giles
• Clancy
• Emile
• Dermot
• Dieter
• Abbott
• Cary
• Noam
• Fulton
• Redmond
• Hiram

Famous People Named Willem

• Willem Frederik (William I) King of the Netherlands
• Willem Frederik George Lodewijk (William II) King of the Netherlands
• Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk (William III) King of the Netherlands
• Willem Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, King of the Netherlands
• William "Willem" Dafoe American actor
• Willem de Kooning Dutch,American painter
• Willem Einthoven Dutch physician; winner of the Nobel Prize
• Vincent Willem van Gogh Dutch painter
• Willem Barentsz Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer
• Willem de Sitter Dutch mathematician, physicist and astronomer
• Willem Herbots Belgian actor
• Willem De Schryver Belgian Actor

The name Willem in Pop Culture

• Willem De Ruiter a character in the "Just One Day" book series by Gayle Forman