Guillaume

Guillaume is a masculine given name used in French-speaking cultures. It is the French form of William, which ultimately derives from the Old High German Wilhelm, from the elements wil meaning will or desire and helm meaning helmet or protection. The name was introduced to France via the Norman conquest and evolved through Old French into the form Guillaume in Middle French and into its current usage.

In contemporary usage, Guillaume is a common name across France and in other Francophone regions, including Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (notably Quebec), and parts of the Caribbean such as Haiti. It has a number of informal diminutives and nicknames in French, such as Gui or Guigui, while remaining a traditional and recognizable given name in formal contexts.

Across history, several notable figures have borne the name Guillaume. Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377) was a prominent medieval French composer and poet. Guillaume de Nogaret (c. 1260–1313) played a key role as a statesman under King Philip IV. In modern times, Guillaume Apollinaire (born Wilhelm Apollinaris Kostrowitzky, 1880–1918) was an influential poet, often referred to by the name Guillaume Apollinaire. Other contemporary figures include the actor and director Guillaume Canet (born 1973) and the writer Guillaume Musso (born 1974).

Related forms of the name appear in other languages, such as Guillermo (Spanish), Guglielmo (Italian), Wilhelm or Wilhelm (German), and William in English. The name Guillaume carries a long historical presence in French culture and remains widely used today.