Gender Masculine
Usage English
Pronounced Pron. BIL  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

Short form of William. This spelling was first used in the 19th century. The change in the initial consonant may have been influenced by an earlier Irish pronunciation of the name. Famous bearers include basketball player Bill Russell (1934-2022), comedian Bill Cosby (1937-), American president Bill Clinton (1946-), and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-).

Related Names

VariantsWil, Will, Willie, Willy
DiminutivesBillie, Billy
Other Languages & CulturesGwilherm(Breton) Guillem, Guim(Catalan) Vilim, Vilko(Croatian) Vilém(Czech) Vilhelm, Villum(Danish) Wilhelmus, Willem, Jelle, Liam, Pim, Wil, Willy, Wim(Dutch) Vilhelmo, Vilĉjo(Esperanto) Villem(Estonian) Viliame(Fijian) Vilhelm, Viljam, Viljami, Jami, Vilhelmi, Vilho, Vili, Viljo, Ville(Finnish) Guillaume, Liam, Lyam(French) Guillerme(Galician) Wilhelm, Liam, Willi, Willy(German) Wilhelm, Willehelm(Germanic) Vilmos, Vili(Hungarian) Vilhjálmur(Icelandic) Uilliam, Liam, Uilleag, Ulick(Irish) Guglielmo, Elmo(Italian) Vilhelms, Vilis(Latvian) Wöllem, Wullem, Wum(Limburgish) Vilhelmas(Lithuanian) Illiam(Manx) Wiremu(Maori) Wilkin, Wilky, Wilmot(Medieval English) Vilhelm(Norwegian) Wiljahelmaz(Old Germanic) Wilhelm(Polish) Guilherme, Gui(Portuguese) Uilleam(Scottish Gaelic) Viliam(Slovak) Viljem, Vili, Vilko(Slovene) Guillermo(Spanish) Vilhelm, Liam, Ville(Swedish) Viliami(Tongan) Gwilym, Gwil, Gwilim, Gwillym(Welsh)

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   informal   common   wholesome   strong   boring   simple  

Categories

A Song of Ice and Fire characters, American Horror Story characters, American presidents, Animal Crossing characters, artists, Baccano characters, bass guitarists, Beatles songs, Bill Nye the Science Guy characters, Charles Dickens characters, child actors, currently out of the US top 1000, D. H. Lawrence characters, Danny Phantom characters, Desperate Housewives characters, Dharma and Greg characters, directors, Dishonored characters, Disney characters, Doctor Who actors, Doctor Who companions, Doug characters, Downton Abbey characters, drummers, Elite characters, English nouns, English verbs, Ernest Hemingway characters, explorers, Family Affair characters, fashion designers, fictional characters, Flipline Studios characters, folk heroes, Frasier characters, Fringe characters, Gravity Falls characters, Harry Potter characters, Horrid Henry characters, House of Cards US characters, Hunters characters, I Love Lucy characters, internet meme characters, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia characters, jockeys, Joni Mitchell songs, Kate Bush songs, Killing Eve characters, King of the Hill characters, Lewis Carroll characters, literature, Little Bill characters, Manifest characters, metal musicians, movies, Muppets, My Little Pony characters, NASCAR, nautical, NBA players, Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest, parts of animals, Philip K. Dick characters, Pokemon characters, Professor Layton characters, R.E.M. lyrics, Red Dead Redemption characters, rhyming nicknames, Rick and Morty characters, Robert A. Heinlein characters, short forms, skiffle, song titles, South Park characters, Spy x Family characters, Stephen King characters, storms, Stranger Things characters, Street Fighter characters, Taboo characters, television, Tennessee Williams characters, The Beatles characters, The Flight Attendant characters, The Golden Girls characters, The IT Crowd characters, The Last of Us characters, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel characters, The Midnight Club characters, The Nanny characters, The Owl House characters, The West Wing characters, theatre, Thomas and Friends characters, Thomas Hardy characters, Three's Company characters, Tolkien characters, Tori Amos lyrics, Townes Van Zandt songs, True Blood characters, TV show titles, Two and a Half Men characters, Weird Al Yankovic, Westworld characters, Will and Grace characters, William Faulkner characters, word names, Yellowjackets characters, YouTubers
Entry updated June 9, 2023