Will is the classic English short form of William, a Germanic name made of wil, "will" or "desire", and helm, "helmet", which together are usually rendered as "resolute protector". On its own it has a plain, friendly ring, carried by actors Will Smith and Will Ferrell. As an independent name Will peaked at number 494 in 2005, slipped out of the US top 1000 in 2021 and ranks 1195 in 2025.