Bill
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- BIL
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,511 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #5,207 for boys
Bill is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “will + helmet”. In 2025 it ranked 2,511th for boys in the UK (9 babies) and 5,207th for boys in the US (18 babies).
What does Bill mean?
Germanic: pet form of William, via Norman French
“will + helmet”
Bill arose as a rhyming pet form of Will, much as Bob came from Rob.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Bill a girl's or a boy's name?
Bill is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 9 boys in the UK and 18 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Bill in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,511among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 9about 1 in 33,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 9 boys in the UK were named Bill, making it the 2,511th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,562nd. Its busiest year was 1997, with 27 boys.
Half of all the boys named Bill in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2015. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,436th in England and Wales.
Bill in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | #2,511 |
| 2024 | 7 | #3,003 |
| 2023 | 6 | #3,279 |
| 2022 | 6 | #3,219 |
| 2021 | 12 | #1,969 |
| 2020 | 8 | #2,562 |
| 2019 | 11 | #2,102 |
| 2018 | 7 | #2,823 |
| 2017 | 11 | #2,174 |
| 2016 | 18 | #1,512 |
| 2015 | 11 | #2,127 |
| 2014 | 16 | #1,573 |
| 2013 | 11 | #2,033 |
| 2012 | 12 | #1,956 |
| 2011 | 13 | #1,788 |
| 2010 | 10 | #2,141 |
| 2009 | 9 | #2,241 |
| 2008 | 15 | #1,547 |
| 2007 | 19 | #1,290 |
| 2006 | 16 | #1,369 |
| 2005 | 12 | #1,599 |
| 2004 | 16 | #1,239 |
| 2003 | 10 | #1,608 |
| 2002 | 13 | #1,252 |
| 2001 | 14 | #1,149 |
| 2000 | 16 | #1,021 |
| 1999 | 17 | #959 |
| 1998 | 15 | #1,016 |
| 1997 | 27 | #671 |
| 1996 | 15 | #979 |
How popular is Bill in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #5,207among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 18about 1 in 95,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 41% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 18 boys in the US were named Bill, making it the 5,207th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,650th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 4,681 boys.
2025 had the fewest boys named Bill since the records began in 1880.
Half of all the boys named Bill in the US since 1880 were born between 1932 and 1958, the years shaded on the chart below.
Bill in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18 | #5,207 |
| 2024 | 22 | #4,567 |
| 2023 | 22 | #4,606 |
| 2022 | 26 | #4,086 |
| 2021 | 23 | #4,358 |
| 2020 | 29 | #3,650 |
| 2019 | 28 | #3,791 |
| 2018 | 48 | #2,616 |
| 2017 | 42 | #2,839 |
| 2016 | 39 | #2,992 |
| 2015 | 33 | #3,364 |
| 2014 | 47 | #2,580 |
| 2013 | 50 | #2,460 |
| 2012 | 41 | #2,867 |
| 2011 | 42 | #2,797 |
| 2010 | 53 | #2,374 |
| 2009 | 58 | #2,251 |
| 2008 | 73 | #1,948 |
| 2007 | 85 | #1,741 |
| 2006 | 85 | #1,669 |
| 2005 | 86 | #1,593 |
| 2004 | 89 | #1,500 |
| 2003 | 81 | #1,558 |
| 2002 | 74 | #1,617 |
| 2001 | 100 | #1,303 |
| 2000 | 114 | #1,186 |
| 1999 | 100 | #1,239 |
| 1998 | 100 | #1,221 |
| 1997 | 103 | #1,166 |
| 1996 | 116 | #1,047 |
| 1995 | 101 | #1,133 |
| 1994 | 110 | #1,059 |
| 1993 | 145 | #883 |
| 1992 | 138 | #897 |
| 1991 | 128 | #932 |
| 1990 | 112 | #991 |
| 1989 | 129 | #883 |
| 1988 | 145 | #782 |
| 1987 | 137 | #786 |
| 1986 | 131 | #792 |
| 1985 | 176 | #665 |
| 1984 | 166 | #673 |
| 1983 | 205 | #599 |
| 1982 | 244 | #553 |
| 1981 | 231 | #562 |
| 1980 | 251 | #539 |
| 1979 | 273 | #505 |
| 1978 | 267 | #496 |
| 1977 | 324 | #441 |
| 1976 | 364 | #406 |
| 1975 | 409 | #385 |
| 1974 | 466 | #356 |
| 1973 | 519 | #330 |
| 1972 | 686 | #279 |
| 1971 | 878 | #253 |
| 1970 | 1,020 | #233 |
| 1969 | 1,075 | #219 |
| 1968 | 1,161 | #201 |
| 1967 | 1,275 | #190 |
| 1966 | 1,556 | #173 |
| 1965 | 2,060 | #151 |
| 1964 | 2,737 | #126 |
| 1963 | 3,193 | #113 |
| 1962 | 3,574 | #108 |
| 1961 | 4,000 | #104 |
| 1960 | 4,501 | #95 |
| 1959 | 4,596 | #93 |
| 1958 | 4,221 | #99 |
| 1957 | 3,118 | #123 |
| 1956 | 1,957 | #159 |
| 1955 | 1,656 | #171 |
| 1954 | 1,526 | #176 |
| 1953 | 1,522 | #176 |
| 1952 | 1,588 | #168 |
| 1951 | 1,653 | #157 |
| 1950 | 2,040 | #131 |
| 1949 | 2,765 | #106 |
| 1948 | 3,926 | #84 |
| 1947 | 4,681 | #76 |
| 1946 | 4,354 | #72 |
| 1945 | 3,711 | #66 |
| 1944 | 3,815 | #66 |
| 1943 | 3,990 | #65 |
| 1942 | 3,794 | #65 |
| 1941 | 3,453 | #68 |
| 1940 | 3,267 | #67 |
| 1939 | 3,161 | #67 |
| 1938 | 3,113 | #67 |
| 1937 | 3,119 | #64 |
| 1936 | 3,166 | #61 |
| 1935 | 3,282 | #60 |
| 1934 | 3,534 | #59 |
| 1933 | 3,223 | #59 |
| 1932 | 3,362 | #58 |
| 1931 | 3,218 | #57 |
| 1930 | 3,160 | #59 |
| 1929 | 2,947 | #63 |
| 1928 | 2,976 | #64 |
| 1927 | 2,863 | #69 |
| 1926 | 2,643 | #74 |
| 1925 | 2,381 | #84 |
| 1924 | 2,067 | #92 |
| 1923 | 1,833 | #98 |
| 1922 | 1,675 | #104 |
| 1921 | 1,482 | #121 |
| 1920 | 1,421 | #121 |
| 1919 | 1,196 | #130 |
| 1918 | 1,038 | #143 |
| 1917 | 891 | #147 |
| 1916 | 854 | #147 |
| 1915 | 746 | #157 |
| 1914 | 559 | #159 |
| 1913 | 466 | #156 |
| 1912 | 347 | #168 |
| 1911 | 243 | #135 |
| 1910 | 259 | #124 |
| 1909 | 205 | #132 |
| 1908 | 164 | #144 |
| 1907 | 174 | #138 |
| 1906 | 128 | #154 |
| 1905 | 147 | #144 |
| 1904 | 128 | #149 |
| 1903 | 129 | #144 |
| 1902 | 138 | #137 |
| 1901 | 104 | #152 |
| 1900 | 196 | #117 |
| 1899 | 83 | #174 |
| 1898 | 90 | #175 |
| 1897 | 84 | #181 |
| 1896 | 86 | #190 |
| 1895 | 90 | #175 |
| 1894 | 73 | #199 |
| 1893 | 71 | #201 |
| 1892 | 75 | #201 |
| 1891 | 65 | #191 |
| 1890 | 72 | #186 |
| 1889 | 61 | #208 |
| 1888 | 58 | #230 |
| 1887 | 63 | #193 |
| 1886 | 64 | #206 |
| 1885 | 66 | #195 |
| 1884 | 82 | #171 |
| 1883 | 50 | #215 |
| 1882 | 61 | #207 |
| 1881 | 42 | #237 |
| 1880 | 53 | #220 |
Nicknames for Bill
- Billy 510 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Bill
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Charles William James Harry Robert Lewis John George Thomas Jack Freddie Frederick
Names related to Bill
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte Archie Charlie Emma Ella Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles Lottie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Bill: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/bill, updated 20 October 2026.