Daily AncestorWill
Will is an old pet form of William, so look for the same person under William as well.
Will is a short form of William, and less often of other names that begin with Wil.
The same man can be William in one record and Will in the next, for example a birth under one name and a marriage under the other. Match age, place and relatives before you join the two.
As seen in a recordCounty tax list, 1827; his will names him William
Will Hesketh, 1 poll, 81 acres
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Will." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/nicknames/will. Last checked 2026-10-15.