Fun Facts About the Name Bill
- A favorite of earlier generations: Bill appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 29 years. Its last run lasted 3 consecutive years, from 1958 through 1960.
- More than 161 thousand babies named Bill: U.S. records list 161,191 babies given the name Bill from 1880 through 2025. Even 716 girls received the name Bill - about 1 girl for every 224 boys.
What Does the Name Bill Mean?
Bill is an English short form of William, and its established meaning is 'resolute protector.' William derives from the Germanic name Willahelm, which entered English through Old Norman French Willaume. The Germanic elements are wil ('will, desire') and helm ('helmet, protection'). A literal rendering is 'will-helmet' or 'desire-protection'; the customary English sense is 'resolute protector.' Bill has no separate etymology of its own and shares the meaning of the fuller name. It is not derived from the English common noun bill.
Bill Name History & Origins
Bill developed in English as a familiar form of William. William was brought to England by the Normans after 1066, from Old Norman French Willaume, which came from the Germanic Willahelm. In medieval England, Will was a common short form of William. Bill is commonly explained as a rhyming alteration of Will, the same pattern seen in Bob from Rob and Dick from Rick.
Bill was originally a familiar form rather than a formal given name. It spread along with William, which was among the most common English male names in the medieval and early modern periods. In later use, Bill became established as an independent given name while remaining a standard short form of William. Charles Dickens's Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (1838) is a well-known literary use; it is not the origin of the name.
How Popular is the Name Bill?
Bill recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1947. Bill ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1923 through 1948, then returned in 1958 and remained through 1960.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | #11,087 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #7,787 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #7,518 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #6,427 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #6,699 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #6,320 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #5,503 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #4,904 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #4,571 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #5,918 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #4,271 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #5,619 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,953 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #6,034 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1952 | #5,625 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #4,784 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #3,644 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #3,918 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #4,389 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #3,245 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1945 | #3,417 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1944 | #2,784 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1943 | #3,842 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1942 | #3,212 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #2,550 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1940 | #2,584 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1939 | #2,945 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1938 | #3,482 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #3,173 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #1,809 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1935 | #2,450 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1934 | #1,444 | 26 | 0.0025% |
| 1933 | #1,558 | 23 | 0.0023% |
| 1932 | #1,241 | 34 | 0.0032% |
| 1931 | #1,512 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1930 | #1,577 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1929 | #1,494 | 27 | 0.0024% |
| 1928 | #1,551 | 27 | 0.0023% |
| 1927 | #1,562 | 28 | 0.0023% |
| 1926 | #2,081 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1925 | #2,034 | 19 | 0.0016% |
| 1924 | #2,146 | 18 | 0.0014% |
| 1923 | #2,095 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1922 | #2,500 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1921 | #1,993 | 20 | 0.0016% |
| 1920 | #2,081 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1919 | #2,835 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1918 | #2,541 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1917 | #2,111 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1916 | #2,685 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1915 | #2,058 | 15 | 0.0015% |
| 1914 | #1,549 | 18 | 0.0024% |
| 1913 | #1,902 | 11 | 0.0018% |
| 1912 | #2,401 | 7 | 0.0013% |
| 1911 | #2,512 | 5 | 0.0012% |
| 1910 | #2,452 | 5 | 0.0013% |
| 1909 | #2,245 | 5 | 0.0014% |
| 1908 | #2,149 | 5 | 0.0015% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,235 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2024 | #4,572 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2023 | #4,617 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2022 | #4,101 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #4,382 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2020 | #3,658 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2019 | #3,804 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2018 | #2,619 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 2017 | #2,844 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2016 | #3,000 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2015 | #3,377 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #2,584 | 47 | 0.0024% |
| 2013 | #2,463 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2012 | #2,873 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2011 | #2,802 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2010 | #2,377 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2009 | #2,254 | 58 | 0.0029% |
| 2008 | #1,950 | 73 | 0.0036% |
| 2007 | #1,742 | 85 | 0.0041% |
| 2006 | #1,670 | 85 | 0.0041% |
| 2005 | #1,596 | 86 | 0.0043% |
| 2004 | #1,502 | 89 | 0.0045% |
| 2003 | #1,564 | 81 | 0.0041% |
| 2002 | #1,621 | 74 | 0.0038% |
| 2001 | #1,307 | 100 | 0.0051% |
| 2000 | #1,189 | 114 | 0.0058% |
| 1999 | #1,242 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 1998 | #1,224 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 1997 | #1,169 | 103 | 0.0055% |
| 1996 | #1,049 | 116 | 0.0061% |
| 1995 | #1,137 | 101 | 0.0053% |
| 1994 | #1,065 | 110 | 0.0057% |
| 1993 | #886 | 145 | 0.0074% |
| 1992 | #900 | 138 | 0.0069% |
| 1991 | #937 | 128 | 0.0063% |
| 1990 | #995 | 112 | 0.0055% |
| 1989 | #886 | 129 | 0.0064% |
| 1988 | #785 | 145 | 0.0076% |
| 1987 | #787 | 137 | 0.0073% |
| 1986 | #792 | 131 | 0.0071% |
| 1985 | #666 | 176 | 0.0095% |
| 1984 | #674 | 166 | 0.0092% |
| 1983 | #599 | 205 | 0.0114% |
| 1982 | #554 | 244 | 0.0134% |
| 1981 | #562 | 231 | 0.0129% |
| 1980 | #540 | 251 | 0.0141% |
| 1979 | #505 | 273 | 0.0159% |
| 1978 | #497 | 267 | 0.0163% |
| 1977 | #441 | 324 | 0.0197% |
| 1976 | #406 | 364 | 0.0232% |
| 1975 | #385 | 409 | 0.0262% |
| 1974 | #356 | 466 | 0.0296% |
| 1973 | #330 | 519 | 0.0333% |
| 1972 | #279 | 686 | 0.0423% |
| 1971 | #253 | 878 | 0.0496% |
| 1970 | #233 | 1,019 | 0.0548% |
| 1969 | #219 | 1,075 | 0.0601% |
| 1968 | #201 | 1,161 | 0.0668% |
| 1967 | #190 | 1,275 | 0.0731% |
| 1966 | #173 | 1,556 | 0.0872% |
| 1965 | #151 | 2,060 | 0.1107% |
| 1964 | #126 | 2,739 | 0.1374% |
| 1963 | #113 | 3,192 | 0.1572% |
| 1962 | #108 | 3,575 | 0.1728% |
| 1961 | #104 | 4,001 | 0.1884% |
| 1960 | #95 | 4,500 | 0.2111% |
| 1959 | #93 | 4,597 | 0.2154% |
| 1958 | #99 | 4,220 | 0.1988% |
| 1957 | #123 | 3,118 | 0.1445% |
| 1956 | #159 | 1,957 | 0.0925% |
| 1955 | #171 | 1,656 | 0.0804% |
| 1954 | #176 | 1,526 | 0.0748% |
| 1953 | #176 | 1,522 | 0.0772% |
| 1952 | #168 | 1,588 | 0.0817% |
| 1951 | #157 | 1,653 | 0.0878% |
| 1950 | #131 | 2,041 | 0.1140% |
| 1949 | #106 | 2,765 | 0.1559% |
| 1948 | #84 | 3,926 | 0.2238% |
| 1947 | #76 | 4,681 | 0.2559% |
| 1946 | #72 | 4,354 | 0.2681% |
| 1945 | #66 | 3,711 | 0.2757% |
| 1944 | #66 | 3,815 | 0.2799% |
| 1943 | #65 | 3,989 | 0.2795% |
| 1942 | #65 | 3,795 | 0.2748% |
| 1941 | #68 | 3,453 | 0.2811% |
| 1940 | #67 | 3,267 | 0.2818% |
| 1939 | #67 | 3,161 | 0.2856% |
| 1938 | #67 | 3,113 | 0.2807% |
| 1937 | #64 | 3,119 | 0.2924% |
| 1936 | #61 | 3,166 | 0.3052% |
| 1935 | #60 | 3,282 | 0.3152% |
| 1934 | #59 | 3,534 | 0.3422% |
| 1933 | #59 | 3,222 | 0.3250% |
| 1932 | #58 | 3,362 | 0.3220% |
| 1931 | #57 | 3,217 | 0.3094% |
| 1930 | #59 | 3,160 | 0.2880% |
| 1929 | #63 | 2,947 | 0.2740% |
| 1928 | #63 | 2,977 | 0.2688% |
| 1927 | #69 | 2,863 | 0.2541% |
| 1926 | #74 | 2,643 | 0.2380% |
| 1925 | #84 | 2,381 | 0.2134% |
| 1924 | #92 | 2,067 | 0.1825% |
| 1923 | #98 | 1,833 | 0.1672% |
| 1922 | #104 | 1,675 | 0.1539% |
| 1921 | #121 | 1,482 | 0.1346% |
| 1920 | #121 | 1,421 | 0.1335% |
| 1919 | #130 | 1,196 | 0.1220% |
| 1918 | #143 | 1,038 | 0.1024% |
| 1917 | #147 | 891 | 0.0963% |
| 1916 | #147 | 854 | 0.0959% |
| 1915 | #157 | 746 | 0.0879% |
| 1914 | #159 | 559 | 0.0854% |
| 1913 | #156 | 466 | 0.0909% |
| 1912 | #168 | 347 | 0.0807% |
| 1911 | #135 | 243 | 0.1075% |
| 1910 | #124 | 259 | 0.1334% |
| 1909 | #132 | 205 | 0.1250% |
| 1908 | #144 | 164 | 0.1063% |
| 1907 | #138 | 174 | 0.1185% |
| 1906 | #154 | 128 | 0.0961% |
| 1905 | #144 | 147 | 0.1111% |
| 1904 | #149 | 128 | 0.0999% |
| 1903 | #144 | 129 | 0.1082% |
| 1902 | #137 | 138 | 0.1125% |
| 1901 | #152 | 104 | 0.0977% |
| 1900 | #117 | 196 | 0.1303% |
| 1899 | #174 | 83 | 0.0781% |
| 1898 | #175 | 90 | 0.0734% |
| 1897 | #182 | 84 | 0.0745% |
| 1896 | #190 | 86 | 0.0719% |
| 1895 | #175 | 90 | 0.0767% |
| 1894 | #200 | 73 | 0.0631% |
| 1893 | #202 | 71 | 0.0632% |
| 1892 | #201 | 75 | 0.0615% |
| 1891 | #192 | 65 | 0.0642% |
| 1890 | #186 | 72 | 0.0649% |
| 1889 | #208 | 61 | 0.0552% |
| 1888 | #231 | 58 | 0.0480% |
| 1887 | #193 | 63 | 0.0621% |
| 1886 | #208 | 64 | 0.0578% |
| 1885 | #195 | 66 | 0.0612% |
| 1884 | #171 | 82 | 0.0717% |
| 1883 | #215 | 50 | 0.0478% |
| 1882 | #207 | 61 | 0.0537% |
| 1881 | #237 | 42 | 0.0417% |
| 1880 | #221 | 53 | 0.0480% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
