Oh to be a Williams...

I like this photo. Its yet another pic that I took in Conwy.

Anyway. You learn something new everyday. According to the US census of 2000 the surname Williams is the 3rd most popular in the country with c 1,747,000 people having the name. Cool.

Ok. So i've been thinking about my surname recently and the fact that so many people have it. For example I ran a Yahoo search on 'Williams' and it came up with 230,000,000 hits! Madness.

According to this website (which may or may not be reliable) - http://allthingswilliam.com/willynilly/name-origin.html - this is the origin of the name Williams.

William is derived from an Old French given name with Germanic elements: wil = desire, will; and helm = helmet, protection. Some say the Old German name Wilhelm derives from Wel-helm (the shield or defense of many), Weil-helm (protector of rest, defender of tranquility), Vil-helm (strong protector), or from the Belgic Guild-helm (harnessed with a gilded helmet).
The name was introduced to Britain by the Normans. When the Normans conquered Britain in 1066 they brought with them a stock of new names and different ideas about names. They were beginning to use the first name and last name system, which allowed the same first names to be borne by many different people at the same time. William - "will" and "helmet" - was an outstanding favorite Norman name and became, in short order, one of the most popular given names in England. In the first century, after the Conquest, it was the commonest male name of all, and not only among the Normans. It has belonged to several rulers of England, Prussia, and Germany, including William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England

I may try and find a better account of the origin of the name Williams. Anyway my trip to Wales the other day also got me thinking about my own particular family origins. Sadly I don't know a great deal other than that my Grandad came from Flintshire and I have relatives right along the North Wales coast. But, I do know that we have a semi-famous relative, who you can read about more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/halloffame/arts/emlyn_williams.shtml

Ok. Sorry if thats quite dull. I've never been one for family history but going to Wales got me thinking the other day.