Billy
Billy was the 1068th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 203 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 19th; the most babies were born in 1934 (9,562). Over the last ten years it has moved down 258 places. More babies were named Billy in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of William · English, Germanic
Say it BIL-ee /ˈbɪli/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,068 boys, down 69 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 203boys
- Girls and boys
- 6% girls, 94% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19349,562 babies
- Total since 1880
- 389,665babies recorded
What does the name Billy mean?
Billy is a pet form of Bill, the rhyming short form of William, with the -y ending, as Wiktionary notes. William comes from the Germanic elements wil 'will, desire' and helm 'helmet, protection'. Why Will became Bill is not certain; rhyming nicknames such as Bob from Rob and Peg from Meg were common in medieval and early modern English. Billy was among the most common American boys' names in the 1930s.
wil (Old High German, “will, desire”)helm (Old High German, “helmet, protection”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: William, Bill, Billie, Will.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Billy', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'William', DMNES (Durham University)
Billy popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,554 | #1,068 | 14 | 203 |
| 2020 | #13,739 | #999 | 6 | 212 |
| 2010 | #17,444 | #624 | 5 | 391 |
| 2000 | #10,878 | #385 | 8 | 670 |
| 1990 | #5,318 | #214 | 17 | 1,439 |
| 1980 | #1,835 | #100 | 59 | 2,991 |
| 1970 | #1,421 | #78 | 73 | 4,121 |
| 1960 | #1,811 | #67 | 39 | 6,023 |
| 1950 | #1,378 | #57 | 44 | 5,674 |
| 1940 | #928 | #27 | 60 | 7,596 |
| 1930 | #526 | #20 | 166 | 9,285 |
| 1920 | #990 | #132 | 55 | 1,206 |
| 1910 | #1,791 | #407 | 8 | 43 |
| 1900 | — | #365 | — | 36 |
| 1890 | — | #1,019 | — | 5 |
| 1880 | — | #753 | — | 7 |
How popular is Billy, counting every spelling?
Billy has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,022 for boys in 2025, against #1,068 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Billy?
203 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Billy (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Billy born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 41 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Billy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Billy?
About 186,900 people born in the US named Billy are alive today, with a median age of 63; half are between 49 and 74. That makes Billy a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Billy by state
How common Billy was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (3.2×), Kentucky (3.1×), Oklahoma (3.1×), Tennessee (1.9×), Alabama (1.8×). In 24 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Billy: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Billy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Billy · Sibling names for Billy
Billy is also a nickname for William and Bill.
Questions about the name Billy
What does Billy mean?
Billy means “pet form of William” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Billy?
Billy was the 1068th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 203 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 19th; the most babies were born in 1934 (9,562). Over the last ten years it has moved down 258 places. More babies were named Billy in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Billy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 6% girls, 94% boys given the name Billy in the US.
Where is Billy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Billy was most common in Mississippi (0.39 per 1,000 boys), followed by Kentucky and Oklahoma.