Billy
6% girls · 94% boys
About Billy
Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the future king of England, may in fact be German, the nickname Billy along with such other classic short forms as Jim and Joe are authentically English names for boys.
Billy for girls#7554 US
Billy is an unexpectedly feminine usage of what is traditionally a masculine nickname for William. When used for girls, Billy typically represents a diminutive of feminine names like Wilhelmina, Billie Jean, or simply Billie. This gender-crossing usage became somewhat fashionable in the mid-20th century alongside other masculine-leaning nicknames for girls. The feminine use of Billy peaked in the 1930s-1950s in the United States, influenced by figures like Billie Holiday, though the spelling 'Billie' was always more common for females. The name conveys a tomboyish, vintage charm with its friendly, approachable sound. In contemporary usage, female Billys are quite rare, with parents more likely to choose the explicitly feminine spelling 'Billie' to differentiate from the masculine form.
Pronounced BIL-ee.
As of November 2026, Billy ranked #1068 for boys and #7554 for girls in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #19 for boys in 1935 and #526 for girls in 1930, Nameberry popularity #872 for girls.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #797 | 288 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #810 | 282 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #863 | 261 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #830 | 268 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #846 | 262 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #891 | 245 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #999 | 212 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #1,037 | 208 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,015 | 219 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #1,095 | 195 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #1,047 | 210 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,068 | 203 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Billy for boys
Billy for girls
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Billy.
Similar boy names
Similar girl names
Billy on lists
Famous Billys
- William Martin "Billy" JoelBoy
American singer,songwriter
- William Franklin "Billy" Graham Jr.Boy
American evangelist
- Billy Idol (born William Michael Albert Broad)Boy
English punk singer
- Billy the Kid (born William Henry Bonney)Boy
American outlaw
- Samuel "Billy" WilderBoy
Austrian,American film director
- William "Billy" Ray CyrusBoy
American musician/actor
- Stephen William "Billy" BraggBoy
English singer,songwriter
- Billy Bob ThorntonBoy
American actor
- Billy BoydBoy
Scottish actor
- Billy Warlock (born William Alan Leming)Boy
American actor
- William Richard "Billy" WestBoy
American voice actor
- William "Billy" ConnollyBoy
Scottish comedian/actor
- William Everett "Billy" PrestonBoy
American R&B musician
- William Albert "Billy" BurkeBoy
American actor
- William Edward "Billy" CrystalBoy
American actor/comedian
- Billy Ray BurtonBoy
son of actress Helena Bonham Carter and director Tim Burton
- William "Billy" BaldwinBoy
American actor, producer, writer
- William "Billy" Corgan Jr.Boy
American rock singer (The Smashing Pumpkins) and producer
- Billy StamosBoy
son of American actor John Stamos
- Billy MaysBoy
Late Pitchman
Billy in pop culture
- Billy HargroveBoy
character in Stranger Things
- Billy PilgrimBoy
main character in Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse,Five"
- "Billy ElliotBoy
" musical, film and main character
- Billy NutterBoy
character on TV's "Jane by Design"
- BillyBoy
main character on animated series "Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy"
- Billy CranstonBoy
Blue Ranger from the Power Rangers series
- "Billy MadisonBoy
" movie and main character
- Billy BickleBoy
character in movie "Seven Psychopaths"
- Dr Billy PealeBoy
character on TV's "American Gothic"
- Billy BannisterBoy
main character of the "Dragons in Our Midst" series by Bryan Davis
- Billy ThundermanBoy
character in Nickelodian's "The Thundermans"
- Billy RosewoodBoy
character in movie "Beverly Hills Cop"
- Billy CaufieldBoy
character in movie "The Dream Team"
- Billy FlynnBoy
character in the film "Chicago"
- BillyBoy
character in the film "Big"
- Billy BlackBoy
character in the Twilight saga
- BillyBoy
later Billystorm, character in Erin Hunter's "Warriors" book series
- Invisi BillyBoy
son of the Invisible Man in "Monster High" show and series
- William "Billy" McMahonBoy
main character in film "The Internship"
- Billy AcachallaBoy
A character from the YouTube channel VenturianTale
- Billy ForresterBoy
character in the 1973 Children's book "How to Eat Fried Worms" by Thomas Rockwell & also
- William "Billy" MelroseBoy
character on 1980's TV show "Scarecrow & Mrs. King"
- Billy “Snake” NikssilpBoy
character in the Rooster Teeth animated series "Camp Camp"
- William "Billy" DunneBoy
Character in "Daisy Jones & The Six
- Billy LoomisBoy
One of the killers from “Scream”
Variations & nicknames
- BillieBoy