William m. Old High German willo 'will' + Old High German, Old Saxon helm 'helmet'
The name of an 8th C French saint, two 11th C kings of England, a 12th C king of Scotland, a number of 12th and 13th C English, French, and Italian saints, three 12th C kings of Sicily, a 13th C king of Germany, a 16th C prince of the Netherlands.
The English diminutives Wilke, Wilken, Wilkin, Wilkoc, Wilkyn, Wille, Wylkyn, Wylle, and Wylymot' are witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Wilkesoñ (WRYPT1 p. 300), Wilkensoñ (WRYPT1 p. 44), Wilkinsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 287), Wilkocsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 165), Wilkynsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 23), Willewyf' (WRYPT1 p. 30), Wylkynsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 18), Wyllesoñ (WRYPT1 p. 33), and Wylymot' (WRYPT1 p. 23).