Bill
Long-standing nickname for William, a Norman import built from the Germanic elements wil, meaning will or desire, and helm, meaning helmet or protection.
Bill in 2025
Bill was given to 18 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 11,048th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 184,186 babies born.
The history of Bill
Bill reached its highest point in 1947, when 4,688 babies were given the name, ranking 156th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 130th, in 1934.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 161,190 babies have been named Bill. Half of them were born before 1944, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Bill by decade
| Decade | Babies named Bill | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 600 | 379 |
| 1890s | 789 | 478 |
| 1900s | 1,523 | 346 |
| 1910s | 6,711 | 305 |
| 1920s | 22,495 | 150 |
| 1930s | 32,525 | 130 |
| 1940s | 37,848 | 137 |
| 1950s | 23,909 | 199 |
| 1960s | 25,184 | 202 |
| 1970s | 5,225 | 514 |
| 1980s | 1,820 | 1,215 |
| 1990s | 1,153 | 2,040 |
| 2000s | 845 | 2,716 |
| 2010s | 423 | 5,415 |
| 2020s | 140 | 7,899 |
Where Bill is heading
Bill has fallen 45% over the past decade, from 33 babies in 2015 to 18 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Bill is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Bill
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Bill.