When William was born on 28 May 1785, in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, his father, Abraham Brown, was 37 and his mother, Alice Hoggden, was 34. He died in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom.
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1748–1831 Male
1752– Female
1772– Female
1773– Male
1775– Female
1776– Female
1778– Female
+3 More Children
Probably the most successful of all the Old French names of Germanic origin that were introduced to England by the Normans. It is derived from Germanic wil ‘will, desire’ + helm ‘helmet, protection’. The fact that it was borne by the Conqueror himself does not seem to have inhibited its favour with the ‘conquered’ population: in the first century after the Conquest it was the commonest male name of all, and not only among the Normans. In the later Middle Ages it was overtaken by John , but continued to run second to that name until the 20th century, when the picture became more fragmented.
Dictionary of First Names © Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges 1990, 2003, 2006.
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