Bill

Bill - A very unique male name

Bill appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #128. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Bill and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Bill? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Bill. The baby boy name Bill was given to 7 baby boys in 2022, ranking #3374 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 214,264 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Bill peaked in popularity 95 years ago in 1931 on position 57.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Bill, 1-5?

Bill is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Bill is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,047 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,047.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Bill is where you live.

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Bill origin and meaning

Germanic (short form)

A traditional short form of William, from Germanic wil, 'will, desire,' plus helm, 'helmet, protection'

Bill is the rhyming nickname for William — Will shortened, then rhymed to Bill, like Peg for Margaret — that generations of men carried as their everyday and even legal name. In the data from 1910 it peaked in 1947 and reached 154,323 lifetime births; it was still recorded in 2020 but has no births recorded in 2025. As a given name in its own right it has yielded to William and Will.

Attested etymology

Bill is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Bill, pop culture references for the name Bill and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Bill

We've found the following names that sound similar to Bill, sorted by popularity.

Billy / Billie / Bailey / Bilal / Buel / Blue / Belal / Blu / Baylee / Buell /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Bill

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Bill a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Bill?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

BIL · /bɪl/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Billy — The diminutive form of the same nickname

Nicknames: Billy

Famous bearers

• Bill Clinton — 42nd President of the United States, born William Jefferson Clinton and universally known as Bill Clinton (b. 1946) Contemporary
• Bill Murray — Actor and comedian, born William Murray and known as Bill Murray (b. 1950) Contemporary
• Bill Gates — Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, born William Gates and known as Bill Gates (b. 1955) Contemporary

Style

Nickname nameShort formClassic

Why parents choose it

The everyman form of William — presidents, actors and founders answer to it — though as a registered baby name it now belongs to an earlier era.

Worth knowing

• Most Bills are Williams; a legal-name Bill will be asked his 'full name' often
• Also a common noun (a bill, a beak, a banknote), and no births were recorded in 2025