Williams

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A surname of English origin commonly found in many English-speaking countries
2. A given name derived from the Old Germanic name "Willahelm," meaning "resolute protector"
3. A prominent family name associated with various notable figures throughout history

Etymology: Williams is a surname built directly on the given name William, with an extra "s" added at the end. The name William itself came into English from Old French "Guillaume," a form of the Germanic name Wilhelm, which combines words meaning roughly "will" and "helmet" or "protection." The "-s" is the familiar marker of "son of," so that Williams originally meant "son of William," the same pattern found in Johnson, Davidson, and Jones. The extra "s" is not always a sign of possession. Over time, many English surnames took on a final "s" that was originally a genitive ending, the possessive form that once showed whose son someone was, and that ending was later sometimes kept or added even where the grammar had faded. Williams is one of the most common results of this process, so it is best understood as the name William carrying a possessive ending that became a permanent part of the surname.

Synonyms: pear, Bartlett pear