# Will, or Wills? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 17, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766 "2011-04-17T22:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/1 "2011-04-17T22:47:47Z")
'Cause I’m seeing it both ways. Will seems more mature, for no good reason, to me. Wills, sounds a little effeminate, also for no good reason, I can think of. I find the names thing very intriguing. It’s Will/Wills & Kate in most of the material I see. But surely once enthroned they’ll be William and Catherine, right? So why not just start off on that foot? I admit to a certain indifference to all of the Royal Wedding Hype. I can enjoy it for the show it is, and nothing more. Most of it is just amusing. Where will the stag be? Will there be strippers? Is Camilla trying to sink Kate? What will the dress be like? On and on, it’s a great distraction from the daily grind, as I see it. The wedding is being broadcast live from the abbey, in Canada on the CBC, at 3am that Friday. I was surprised to learn who would be doing the colour commentary. I’m sure they’ll have someone else for the re broadcast later in the day, when, I assume, most people will watch. Tracy Ulman! An excellent, and irreverent choice in my opinion. I think I might just try and stay awake to watch it. So, Will or Wills? Staying up to watch, or not? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/2 "2011-04-17T22:52:41Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I find the names thing very intriguing. It’s Will/Wills & Kate in most of the material I see. But surely once enthroned they’ll be William and Catherine, right? Bill and Kathy? 🙂 > [@elbows](#): > > I was surprised to learn who would be doing the colour commentary. I’m sure they’ll have someone else for the re broadcast later in the day, when, I assume, most people will watch. Tracy Ulman! I was sure you’d say [del]Rob Ford[/del] Don Cherry. > [@elbows](#): > > So, Will or Wills? Will. Putting the ‘s’ on the end make it sound both infantile and ‘upper-class twit’. > [@elbows](#): > > Staying up to watch, or not? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/3 "2011-04-18T00:40:07Z")
Wills sounds like a little boy’s nickname to me, mostly because I’ve never heard anyone over the age of 12 being addressed as such (until this thread I didn’t know anyone was calling the prince that). It’s kind of sweet, and nicer than Willie. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/5 "2011-04-18T00:43:09Z")
I came in here wondering under what circumstance the OP might be wondering whether one or more [Will and Testaments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_%28law%29) might be required. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/6 "2011-04-18T00:43:37Z")
I called my ex “Wills”. Better than “Billy”! (He didn’t go by that, but you know what I mean.) ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/7 "2011-04-18T00:45:34Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Putting the ‘s’ on the end make it sound both infantile and ‘upper-class twit’. Nope. ☹ My ex called me \*Jax \*for a nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/8 "2011-04-18T02:10:59Z")
I thought the official nickname was Big Willy. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/9 "2011-04-18T02:19:08Z")
I tried so hard to get my family to call my son (age 14 months) Wills as a cute baby name, but it didn’t take. So he’s just Will, but I still think Wills is cute for a little kid and as a family nickname. And my daughter’s name is Kate. I didn’t do it on purpose, I promise. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/10 "2011-04-18T03:48:08Z")
Wills? Ew. First time I ever heard that as a possibility. It’s either Bill, Billy, or Will for William. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/11 "2011-04-18T07:02:32Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > ☹ > > My ex called me \*Jax \*for a nickname. For some reason, it works better for words that end in the [k] sound. Maybe because that sound can end a word without implying it is a plural? I actually think “Wills” sounds kinda ghetto. I don’t know it it’s still used (or if it was just a stereotype), but I can easily hear something like “Whats ya doin’ Wills? Gets yo-selfs ova here.” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/12 "2011-04-18T12:38:25Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I find the names thing very intriguing. It’s Will/Wills & Kate in most of the material I see. But surely once enthroned they’ll be William and Catherine, right? So why not just start off on that foot? He may take any name he chooses to reign. He may stick with William. George is always popular. Edward is probably still out due to his great uncle for another generation. I doubt he’d choose Charles. She will be Catherine though. Popularly, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/13 "2011-04-18T13:18:53Z")
What’s wrong with Liam? ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/14 "2011-04-18T14:00:07Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Putting the ‘s’ on the end make it sound both infantile and ‘upper-class twit’. Which is why it’s clearly the most fitting and appropriate. 😃 I’ve only heard “Will” from American commentators (and, to be fair, newspapers that didn’t want to try to squeeze in one more letter in the splash headline). I think you guys tend to be a bit more deferential about our royalty than we do. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/15 "2011-04-18T14:15:04Z")
If you think Wills is silly, consider Harry, whose given name’s not Harold or Harry, but Henry. In the unlikely event of _his_ coronation (3 deaths in the succession w/ Will not having any kids in the meanwhile), can you imagine his naming dilemma? Because you know he’d never choose to be Henry the 9th. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/16 "2011-04-18T14:31:04Z")
> [@SecondJudith](#): > > Which is why it’s clearly the most fitting and appropriate. 😃 > > I’ve only heard “Will” from American commentators (and, to be fair, newspapers that didn’t want to try to squeeze in one more letter in the splash headline). I think you guys tend to be a bit more deferential about our royalty than we do. No, it’s that “Wills” doesn’t even ping the American radar as a nickname for “William.” I’ve never even heard of it until this OP. If an American wanted to shorten “William” in a way that might be construed as juvenile, they would probably select “Billy.” ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/17 "2011-04-18T14:37:43Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Edward is probably still out due to his great uncle for another generation. Great-great uncle, and by the time William is king it will probably have been 90 years since Edward VIII’s abdication. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/18 "2011-04-18T14:53:06Z")
Yeah, but that’s no time at all in royal history terms. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/19 "2011-04-18T15:01:20Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Yeah, but that’s no time at all in royal history terms. Not to mention every British Royal now alive has been taught to despise him as having foisted the throne on Bertie, probably shortening his life. Not to say they’re right or anything, just that Edward/David hatred runs very deep. I see per Wiki that David wasn’t used in a Prince’s name until Harry. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/20 "2011-04-18T15:43:19Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Not to mention every British Royal now alive has been taught to despise him as having foisted the throne on Bertie, probably shortening his life. Not to say they’re right or anything, just that Edward/David hatred runs very deep. I see per Wiki that David wasn’t used in a Prince’s name until Harry. Elizabeth knew Edward, and more importantly, her mother did and blamed him in part for her husband’s early death. William would have heard first hand stories. His kids are not likely to hear first hand stories (or remember them). So they may be ready for Edward/David. After all, as pointed out upthread, there has not yet been an Henry IX. Or a John II. The Royals seem to be really hung up on the name thing. Although eventually the British Royal Family either needs to get over the name thing. They are running out of names. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766/21 "2011-04-18T15:58:21Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Elizabeth knew Edward, and more importantly, her mother did and blamed him in part for her husband’s early death. William would have heard first hand stories. > > His kids are not likely to hear first hand stories (or remember them). So they may be ready for Edward/David. > > After all, as pointed out upthread, there has not yet been an Henry IX. Or a John II. The Royals seem to be really hung up on the name thing. > > Although eventually the British Royal Family either needs to get over the name thing. They are running out of names. I suppose the Duke of Edinburgh would have an embolism if he lived to see Charles or William choose to be crowned King Phillip. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-or-wills/578766.md?page=2)