Wilson is an English and Scottish surname that means "son of Will", and Will is the short form of William, "resolute protector". It is best known in the United States as the surname of President Woodrow Wilson and belongs to the family of presidential and surname names like Harrison, Davis and Nelson. Wilson was number 526 in 2000, peaked at 465 in 2004 and ranks 673 among US boys' names in 2025.