Bill
Hypocorism of William. It is unclear how the initial W became a B; this could have been part of the medieval trend of swapping letters, similar to Dick for Rick.
Every Bill since 1880 — 161,190 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Bill
Bill is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,235 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 161,190 American babies have been named Bill. Its peak came in 1947, when 4,688 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Bill stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Bill year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 18 | #5,235 |
| 2024 | — | — | 22 | #4,585 |
| 2023 | — | — | 22 | #4,621 |
| 2022 | — | — | 26 | #4,104 |
| 2021 | — | — | 23 | #4,382 |
| 2020 | — | — | 29 | #3,660 |
| 2019 | — | — | 28 | #3,805 |
| 2018 | — | — | 48 | #2,619 |
| 2017 | — | — | 42 | #2,844 |
| 2016 | — | — | 39 | #3,000 |
| 2015 | — | — | 33 | #3,377 |
| 2014 | — | — | 47 | #2,584 |
| 2013 | — | — | 50 | #2,464 |
| 2012 | — | — | 41 | #2,874 |
| 2011 | — | — | 42 | #2,803 |
| 2010 | — | — | 53 | #2,377 |
| 2009 | — | — | 58 | #2,254 |
| 2008 | — | — | 73 | #1,951 |
| 2007 | — | — | 85 | #1,743 |
| 2006 | — | — | 85 | #1,670 |
| 2005 | — | — | 86 | #1,596 |
| 2004 | — | — | 89 | #1,503 |
| 2003 | — | — | 81 | #1,564 |
| 2002 | — | — | 74 | #1,621 |
| 2001 | — | — | 100 | #1,307 |
| 2000 | — | — | 114 | #1,189 |
| 1995 | — | — | 101 | #1,137 |
| 1990 | — | — | 112 | #995 |
| 1985 | — | — | 176 | #665 |
| 1980 | — | — | 251 | #540 |
| 1975 | — | — | 409 | #385 |
| 1970 | 7 | #6,428 | 1,020 | #233 |
| 1965 | — | — | 2,060 | #151 |
| 1960 | — | — | 4,501 | #95 |
| 1955 | — | — | 1,656 | #171 |
| 1950 | 6 | #4,784 | 2,040 | #131 |
| 1945 | 8 | #3,417 | 3,711 | #66 |
| 1940 | 11 | #2,584 | 3,267 | #67 |
| 1935 | 12 | #2,450 | 3,282 | #60 |
| 1930 | 25 | #1,577 | 3,160 | #59 |
| 1925 | 19 | #2,034 | 2,381 | #84 |
| 1920 | 18 | #2,081 | 1,421 | #121 |
| 1915 | 15 | #2,058 | 746 | #157 |
| 1910 | 5 | #2,452 | 259 | #124 |
| 1905 | — | — | 147 | #144 |
| 1900 | — | — | 196 | #117 |
| 1895 | — | — | 90 | #175 |
| 1890 | — | — | 72 | #186 |
| 1885 | — | — | 66 | #195 |
| 1880 | — | — | 53 | #221 |
Famous people named Bill
- Bill Gates Businessperson · b. 1955
- Bill Clinton Politician · b. 1946
- Bill Murray Actor · b. 1950
- Bill de Blasio Politician · b. 1961
- Bill Russell Basketball player · b. 1934
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Bill mean?
Hypocorism of William. It is unclear how the initial W became a B; this could have been part of the medieval trend of swapping letters, similar to Dick for Rick.
How popular is the name Bill in 2025?
Bill ranked #5,235 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Bill?
161,190 babies have been named Bill in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Bill most popular?
Bill peaked in 1947, when 4,688 newborns received the name.
Is Bill a boy or girl name?
Bill is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Bill rising or falling?
Bill is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Bill?
Well-known people named Bill include Bill Gates (businessperson), Bill Clinton (politician), Bill Murray (actor).