What Does " Williams" Mean As Old Meaning?

Williams is typically used as a last name, it is a mainly English surname (which is also really common in Wales and America), a patronymic from William. William is an Old French personal name which has the Germanic elements of 'wil', meaning desire, will along with 'helm', meaning helmet, protection. It is also thought to be of Norman origin, meaning son or descendant of Guillemin. In this sense it could be a pet form of Guillaume, which is the French form of William. It could have come from the Belgic term "guild-helm," that is, adorned with a gilded helmet; from "welhelm," meaning the defence or shield of many.

Some of the alternate surname spellings would include William, Williman, Willimon and Williamson.

There are numerous popular personalities with the surname Williams such as Sir Frank Williams, of the WilliamsF1 Formula One for example.

I think you mean William; it means Will, desire and helmet, protection.

There was Wililam the conquerer.  After he invaded England William became a popular fore name among the Anglo-Saxons and Welsh.  When it became usual for poorer people to take surnames, they might be named after the most common name of their male ancestors -- hence Williams as a surname, especially among the Welsh.

William as a forename came from German (Wilhelm, Wilhem, etc.).  And then it became a surname for German (and French) families where Wilhem (or the French equivalent, Guilhome) had been a frequent first name; surnames for the common people really came into being in the late medieval times (1200s-1400s).

In general folk lore history, "William" (Wihelm) meant protector, valiant, hero, determined, resolute in old German.  So as a surname, in practice, you could consider "Williams" to mean "Famly of heros".