Williams Family History
Williams Name Meaning
English: variant of William , with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. This form of the surname is also common in Wales. In North America, this surname has also absorbed some cognates from other languages, such as Dutch Willems . Williams is the third most frequent surname in the US. It is also very common among African Americans and Native Americans.
History: This surname was brought to North America from southern England and Wales independently by many different bearers from the 17th century onward. Roger Williams, born in London in 1603, came to MA in 1630, but the clergyman was banished from the colony for his criticism of the Puritan government; he fled to RI and founded Providence.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Williams is most likely found in:
United States
1,020,707 people in Family Tree
England
290,769 people in Family Tree
Wales
159,123 people in Family Tree
We found 36,497,382 records for the Williams last name
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