Billy - A very unique male name
Billy at a glance
Billy is ranked #1079 among boy baby names in 2025, with 149 births in 2025. It peaked in 1931 at #19 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #1079
- Births in 2025
- 149
- Peak year
- 1931 (#19)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #1007 in 2020 → #1079 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 9,841 boys
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (1 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 9,841 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Billy peaked in popularity 95 years ago in 1931 on position 19.
Famous with this name
Billy Burke
Billy Campbell
Billy Crudup
How would you rate Billy, 1-5?
Billy is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Billy is currently topping the baby name charts in Mississippi at position #372 - and is the least popular in Ohio at position #1,292.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 Billy is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Billy origin and meaning
English — diminutive of William
The classic diminutive of William, from Germanic wil, 'will, desire,' + helm, 'helmet, protection'
Billy has been William's everyday short form for centuries and a registered name in its own right since the earliest US records, enormously popular in the 1930s-50s. It has been in long decline since, falling past #1000 in the 2020s.
Attested etymology
Billy is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Billy, pop culture references for the name Billy and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Billy
We've found the following names that sound similar to Billy, sorted by popularity.
Bill / Billie / Bailey / Bilal / Buel / Blue / Belal / Blu / Baylee / Buell /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)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1079 |
| 2024 | 1031 |
| 2023 | 1103 |
| 2022 | 986 |
| 2021 | 1058 |
| 2020 | 1007 |
| 2019 | 928 |
| 2018 | 852 |
| 2017 | 830 |
| 2016 | 854 |
| 2015 | 809 |
| 2014 | 799 |
| 2013 | 701 |
| 2012 | 667 |
| 2011 | 621 |
| 2010 | 649 |
| 2009 | 593 |
| 2008 | 568 |
| 2007 | 487 |
| 2006 | 471 |
| 2005 | 454 |
| 2004 | 455 |
| 2003 | 425 |
| 2002 | 421 |
| 2001 | 384 |
| 2000 | 384 |
| 1999 | 353 |
| 1998 | 330 |
| 1997 | 320 |
| 1996 | 286 |
| 1995 | 261 |
| 1994 | 255 |
| 1993 | 221 |
| 1992 | 229 |
| 1991 | 220 |
| 1990 | 213 |
| 1989 | 193 |
| 1988 | 185 |
| 1987 | 168 |
| 1986 | 161 |
| 1985 | 150 |
| 1984 | 140 |
| 1983 | 124 |
| 1982 | 116 |
| 1981 | 103 |
| 1980 | 100 |
| 1979 | 98 |
| 1978 | 99 |
| 1977 | 91 |
| 1976 | 85 |
| 1975 | 84 |
| 1974 | 78 |
| 1973 | 76 |
| 1972 | 83 |
| 1971 | 75 |
| 1970 | 78 |
| 1969 | 78 |
| 1968 | 77 |
| 1967 | 77 |
| 1966 | 79 |
| 1965 | 77 |
| 1964 | 71 |
| 1963 | 74 |
| 1962 | 72 |
| 1961 | 68 |
| 1960 | 67 |
| 1959 | 64 |
| 1958 | 64 |
| 1957 | 64 |
| 1956 | 68 |
| 1955 | 69 |
| 1954 | 65 |
| 1953 | 65 |
| 1952 | 65 |
| 1951 | 64 |
| 1950 | 57 |
| 1949 | 57 |
| 1948 | 53 |
| 1947 | 51 |
| 1946 | 45 |
| 1945 | 42 |
| 1944 | 39 |
| 1943 | 37 |
| 1942 | 35 |
| 1941 | 27 |
| 1940 | 27 |
| 1939 | 24 |
| 1938 | 24 |
| 1937 | 22 |
| 1936 | 22 |
| 1935 | 19 |
| 1934 | 20 |
| 1933 | 20 |
| 1932 | 20 |
| 1931 | 19 |
| 1930 | 20 |
| 1929 | 23 |
| 1928 | 27 |
| 1927 | 32 |
| 1926 | 40 |
| 1925 | 49 |
| 1924 | 63 |
| 1923 | 78 |
| 1922 | 91 |
| 1921 | 108 |
| 1920 | 132 |
| 1919 | 155 |
| 1918 | 195 |
| 1917 | 228 |
| 1916 | 257 |
| 1915 | 301 |
| 1914 | 422 |
| 1913 | 413 |
| 1912 | 521 |
| 1911 | 526 |
| 1910 | 432 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | 372 |
| Kansas | 531 |
| Oklahoma | 559 |
| Minnesota | 593 |
| Georgia | 677 |
| Kentucky | 719 |
| North Carolina | 829 |
| Missouri | 877 |
| Texas | 880 |
| Michigan | 914 |
| Florida | 915 |
| Indiana | 960 |
| Washington | 1016 |
| Tennessee | 1054 |
| California | 1253 |
| Ohio | 1292 |
Even more about Billy
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 Billy 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 Billy?
2 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.Pronunciation
BIL-ee · /ˈbɪli/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Billie — The -ie spelling, now used mainly for girls; a separate entry.
Nicknames: BillWill
Famous bearers
- Billy Joel — American singer-songwriter, the 'Piano Man' (b. 1949) Contemporary
Style
Nickname nameClassic
Why parents choose it
Billy is open-faced, all-American nostalgia — but a baby Billy today is a deliberate retro choice, since the name peaked before his grandparents were born. For families honouring a William or a Billy, it lands warmly.
Worth knowing
- Reads as a nickname: 'William?' will be asked on official forms.
- Its mid-century peak makes it a grandad name to most ears.
