Billy

Billy: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “resolute protector”
Origin: Germanic
Say it: BIL-ee · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

Diminutive of Bill or William. William comes from Germanic elements wil 'will, desire' and helm 'helmet, protection'.

English names Names meaning protector Names meaning strength Classic names Short names

How popular is Billy?

202467.0 per million US babies

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.

Compare with another name

Babies named Billy in 2024223

2024 rank#1,046 boys

Peak year1934

Total US babies since 1880389,442

Billy is fading: recent use is about 67% of its level ten years before.

Names like Billy

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Billieresolute protector · Germanic
Williamresolute protector · Germanic
Henryhome ruler · Germanic
Charlesfree man · Germanic
Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
Robertbright fame · Germanic
Emeryindustrious ruler · Germanic
Milogracious; dear · Germanic

Billy questions

What does the name Billy mean?

Billy means "resolute protector". It comes from Germanic. Diminutive of Bill or William. William comes from Germanic elements wil 'will, desire' and helm 'helmet, protection'.

Is Billy a boy or girl name?

Billy is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Billy?

223 US babies were named Billy in 2024. Its peak year was 1934.

How do you pronounce Billy?

Billy is usually pronounced BIL-ee.

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.