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BabyNames
Boy name#218 of boy names

Bill

Pronounced B IH1 L (ARPABET)

  • 1 syllable
  • Peaked 1947
  • 145 years in use
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How popular is Bill?

Bill is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 161,173 children — the 218th most common boys' name on record.

It is still recorded, but barely: 312 births across the past decade, against a peak of 4,681 in a single year. That peak was in 1947.

01,2502,5003,7505,00018901920195019802010
1947Boys: 4,681Girls: 7

Nicknames

Bill is itself a short form of William.

Characteristics

  • 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
B IH1 L
Stress pattern:
1
Syllables:
1

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Bill

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Bill

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Bill?
Bill ranks 218th among boys' names in US records, with 161,173 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 312.
Is Bill a unisex name?
No. Bill is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Bill most popular?
1947, when 4,681 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.