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Williams is the third-most-common surname in the United States; both the 1990 and 2000 censuses record more than 1.5 million people named Williams, surpassed only by the Smiths and the Johnsons.

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Records of the name Williams can be found in the United States as early as the 17th century where they settled in the Northeast corner of the country.

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short form of "s", meaning "son of"

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Derives from the personal name "Wilhelm" composed of the elements "wil", meaning "of strong mind", and "helm", translating literally as helmet, but in this context meaning "protection"

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Four English Kings had the last name Williams

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The name was originally Germanic. However throughout the years the name spread throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland, and Welsh.

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Recorded in various spellings including William, Williams, and Williamson

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Last name: Williams. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2016, from http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Williams

Williams: A History of the Popular American Surname - Ancestry Blog. (2014). Retrieved August 28, 2016, from http://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/2014/10/29/williams-a-history-of-the-popular-american-surname/