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Wilson

Boy name · 105 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Wilson: 105 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 8 births in 2011.

Wilson is a classic surname-turned-first-name, derived from the medieval English patronymic meaning “son of Will,” a diminutive of William, which itself comes from the Old Norman French *Williame* and ultimately the Germanic *Willahelm*, meaning “desire” and “helmet” or “protection.” One of the most famous bearers is Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, a key figure in the founding of the League of Nations. Another is the Scottish biologist and writer Wilson “T. S.” Eliot’s friend and fellow poet, though more commonly recalled is the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, inventor of the cloud chamber. The name also evokes the Wilson family of Scottish whisky distilling fame. As a place, several towns around the world carry the name, including a notable one in North Carolina. Although primarily used as a surname in Scotland, Wilson has enjoyed steady use as a first name, carrying with it a sturdy, dependable air.