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Bill

Bill: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“resolute protector”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
bil · 1 syllable
Used for
Boys

Short form of William, from Germanic Wilhelm: wil 'will, desire' and helm 'helmet, protection.' Bill has long been used as an English familiar form.

English namesNames meaning protectorNames meaning strengthClassic namesShort names

How popular is Bill?

20246.6 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Bill in 202422

2024 rank#4,554 boys

Peak year1934

Total US babies since 1880161,173

Bill is fading: recent use is about 58% of its level ten years before.

Names like Bill

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Liamresolute protector · Irish
  • Williamresolute protector · Germanic
  • Wilsonson of Will · English
  • Guillermoresolute protector · Germanic
  • Willresolute protector · Germanic
  • Willisdescendant of Will · English
  • Henryhome ruler · Germanic
  • Charlesfree man · Germanic

Bill questions

What does the name Bill mean?

Bill means "resolute protector". It comes from Germanic. Short form of William, from Germanic Wilhelm: wil 'will, desire' and helm 'helmet, protection.' Bill has long been used as an English familiar form.

Is Bill a boy or girl name?

Bill is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Bill?

22 US babies were named Bill in 2024. Its peak year was 1934.

How do you pronounce Bill?

Bill is usually pronounced bil.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.