boy's name
Billy
BIL-ee
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 417,238
Ireland
#39
2025 births
Billy is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "resolute protector." It is a pet form of William, from wil, will or desire, and helm, helmet or protection — the meaning is determination combined with defense.
- Billy is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1934, when 9,659 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,096 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Billy over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Billy is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 63 |
| 1890s | 104 |
| 1900s | 253 |
| 1910s | 3,263 |
| 1920s | 43,212 |
| 1930s | 89,443 |
| 1940s | 68,441 |
| 1950s | 59,760 |
| 1960s | 48,960 |
| 1970s | 33,927 |
| 1980s | 21,010 |
| 1990s | 11,070 |
| 2000s | 5,703 |
| 2010s | 3,134 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,322 |
What Billy means
Billy means one whose will protects, usually given as resolute protector. The first element is will or desire and the second is a helmet, so the name pairs determination with defense.
Where Billy comes from
Billy comes from William, from the Germanic Wilhelm — wil, will, and helm, helmet. Bill emerged from Will by the same rhyming substitution that gave Bob from Rob, and Billy is its familiar form. William arrived in England with the Conquest and became the most common English male name for centuries, generating an unusually large family of pet forms: Will, Bill, Billy, Willie, Liam and Wills. Billy has strong and separate cultural lives in Britain, through Billy Elliot and Billy Bunter, and in America through Billy the Kid.
Billy in use
Our data shows Billy falling, peaking in 1934, at 110 in England and Wales against 1,068 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1880. Liam, another pet form of the same name, is the number one boys' name in the United States — so one Germanic root currently tops the American charts and sits in the British top 110 under two different diminutives.
How popular is Billy?
In 2025, Billy was given to 481 babies in England and Wales, ranking #110 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Billy is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Billy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Billy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Billy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Billy
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Billy in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- William
Sibling names for Billy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Billy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Billy
What does the name Billy mean?
Billy means "resolute protector," from the Germanic wil, will, and helm, helmet, by way of William.
Why is Bill short for William?
Will became Bill through a Middle English habit of swapping the first letter in rhyming pet forms — the same one behind Bob from Rob.
Are Billy and Liam the same name?
Both are pet forms of William. Liam comes from the Irish Uilliam, and is currently the number one boys' name in the United States.
How popular is the name Billy?
In 2025, Billy was given to 481 babies in England and Wales, ranking #110 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Billy a girl's or a boy's name?
Billy is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Billy?
Billy has 2 syllables.
When was Billy most popular?
Billy peaked in 1934, when 9,659 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Billy?
Billy is usually shortened to Bill.
Is Billy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Billy currently ranks #39 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.