Nameling

Billy

Gender
Boy
Say it
BIL-ee
Origin
Germanic
UK rank, 2025
#115 for boys
US rank, 2025
#1,068 for boys

Billy is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “resolute protector”. In 2025 it ranked 115th for boys in the UK (510 babies) and 1,068th for boys in the US (203 babies).

What does Billy mean?

Germanic: pet form of William

“resolute protector”

More on Wiktionary.

Is Billy a girl's or a boy's name?

Billy is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 510 boys in the UK and 14 girls and 203 boys in the US.

How popular is Billy in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#115among boys
Babies in 2025
510about 1 in 590 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 6% in five years
Same name in a class
2.4%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 510 boys in the UK were named Billy, making it the 115th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 128th. Its busiest year was 2005, with 1,001 boys.

Half of all the boys named Billy 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 110th in England and Wales, 208th in Scotland and 212th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#78) and 2004 (#71).

1996Busiest: 1,001 in 20052025
Billy in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025510#115
2024458#134
2023510#118
2022472#134
2021478#138
2020494#128
2019462#143
2018433#151
2017499#133
2016507#133
2015569#121
2014540#131
2013564#123
2012607#120
2011647#113
2010701#103
2009642#111
2008710#103
2007829#95
2006883#89
20051,001#78
2004940#79
2003734#87
2002731#87
2001760#87
2000734#82
1999849#77
1998919#76
1997921#79
1996934#76

How popular is Billy in the US?

Rank in 2025
#1,068among boys
Babies in 2025
203about 1 in 8,400 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 15% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 203 boys in the US were named Billy, making it the 1,068th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 999th. Its busiest year was 1934, with 9,562 boys. 14 girls were also named Billy in 2025 (7,489th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Billy in the US since 1880 were born between 1935 and 1964, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 216 boys in the US were given Billy or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #945, up from #1,068 for this spelling alone.

Girls were 27% of the babies named Billy in the US in 1902, and 6% in 2025.

1880Busiest: 9,562 in 19342025
Billy in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025203#1,068
2024210#1,050
2023195#1,096
2022221#1,007
2021208#1,037
2020212#999
2019245#890
2018262#846
2017268#829
2016261#863
2015282#810
2014288#795
2013349#685
2012356#664
2011397#611
2010391#624
2009443#591
2008460#565
2007546#486
2006566#471
2005560#456
2004566#457
2003601#426
2002582#426
2001676#384
2000670#385
1999748#350
1998813#332
1997814#324
1996948#286
19951,063#264
19941,125#256
19931,353#222
19921,282#230
19911,357#220
19901,439#214
19891,505#193
19881,509#185
19871,622#168
19861,686#159
19851,831#150
19841,946#140
19832,151#124
19822,526#116
19812,883#103
19802,991#100
19792,998#97
19782,695#99
19772,950#91
19763,158#85
19753,113#84
19743,365#78
19733,437#76
19723,473#81
19713,907#75
19704,121#78
19693,773#77
19683,814#76
19673,984#76
19664,182#80
19654,649#77
19645,192#71
19635,241#74
19625,588#71
19616,026#68
19606,023#67
19596,308#65
19586,160#64
19576,146#64
19566,013#68
19555,769#69
19546,033#65
19535,856#65
19525,708#65
19515,610#64
19505,674#57
19495,821#57
19486,220#53
19476,933#51
19466,716#45
19456,022#42
19446,545#38
19437,012#37
19427,313#35
19417,655#27
19407,596#27
19397,474#24
19388,253#24
19378,301#22
19368,587#22
19359,241#19
19349,562#20
19338,938#20
19329,436#20
19319,264#19
19309,285#20
19298,320#23
19287,310#27
19276,463#31
19265,180#40
19254,207#49
19243,271#63
19232,488#78
19222,029#90
19211,622#109
19201,206#132
1919858#154
1918645#198
1917469#231
1916361#264
1915276#306
1914142#401
1913111#409
191269#470
191142#452
191043#407
190918#636
190820#566
190720#540
190614#640
190520#507
190421#466
190320#470
190222#440
190118#453
190036#365
189919#424
189814#572
18976#941
18969#778
189511#640
189410#667
18939#705
189210#687
18916#840
18905#994
18895#973
188810#648
18876#819
18867#758
18858#700
18847#764
18830–
18827#754
18816#780
18807#745

Names like Billy

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Bobby Robert Michael Lewis Daniel Toby David Patrick Harry Charles Thomas Matthew

Other spellings of Billy

Billie

Names related to Billy

Bilal Bill Bilaal Billal Baily Bilol

More Germanic names

Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte William Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice

Every Germanic name

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, “Billy: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/billy, updated 20 October 2026.