Given name & surname
Wilkes
“will”·“desire”·“helmet”
Wilkes is a variant of William. William’s elements mean “will” or “desire” and “helmet” or “protection.” “Determined protector” is a natural interpretation of that combination.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Wilkes is a variant of William. William’s elements mean “will” or “desire” and “helmet” or “protection.” “Determined protector” is a natural interpretation of that combination.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Wilkes is a variant of William. William is an English form of a Germanic name brought to England by the Normans.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Wilkes is a variant of William. The shared background comes through William: William joins the Germanic elements wil and helm. The second element began with the concrete image of a helmet and also carried the broader idea of protection.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1916. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Wilkes is a variant of William. The history of William gives this family its wider story. William spread widely in England after the Norman Conquest, among people beyond the Norman ruling class. William remained prominent through the Middle Ages and became a royal name in England, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Wilkes through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 318
- 318 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 30 babies
- 2025
- 20
- #5,032 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +15%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 20 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,032 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 30 in 2018. In 2025, Georgia had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 248 as a first name in 2020; 17,653 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Wilkes’s family of names
Wilkes has a related form in William. In English usage, Wilkes as a surname has a related form in WILKIN. In English usage, Wilkes as a surname has a related form in WILK.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Wilkes, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Wills
“will” · “desire”
>99% boys
Henryk
“home” · “power”
>99% boys
Hendry
“home” · “power”
>99% boys
Aldrich
“an old king”
>99% boys
Heinrich
“the ruler of the house” · “home”
>99% boys
Aldric
“an old king”
>99% boys
Ciro
“a king”
>99% boys
Friedrich
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% boys