A great name on its own. Catchy and strong. But a lot of people thought the same as I did in the mid 20th Century, and it came to be seen as a very common and unintellectual name. For me the first person I think of when I hear the name is Billy from the Billy & Mandy cartoon, which is not a great association at all. I think it's good as a nickname for William, calling a child Billy just feels like you're tying them down to a specific archetype. As a sidenote, I always saw Bill as a nerdy name. Funny how one letter can completely change the perception of a name.
― Anonymous User 3/19/2022
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What a wonderful name! It’s usually the name of a character in a horror movie who dies brutally.
Billy sounds like a goat. If you disagree, you are probably a Billy. In addition, William sounds nothing like Billy so it makes no sense that that is nickname. Lastly, Billy sounds like willy and that's never a good name.
― Anonymous User 9/15/2021
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Not really famous, but omg, to all of the people who joined Roblox in 2010 - 2016 will know Billy from The Mad Murderer, probably!
William Franklin Graham Jr., better known as Billy Graham, was born on Nov. 7, 1918. He is considered to be one of the most influential evangelists in America. He brought lots of attention to the Christian faith and attracted crowds nationwide to religious revivals.
― Anonymous User 2/27/2021
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Bill Murray (born William Thomas Murray, May 25, 1877 – August 17, 1954) was one of the most popular singers in the United States in the early 20th century. While he received star billing in vaudeville, he was best known for his prolific work in the recording studio, making records for almost every record label of the era.
In 2018, 75 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Billy* who is registered male with the Social Security Administration. It is the 176th most common male first name for living U.S. citizens. In 2018, 80 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Billy* who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 3, 550th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens. *as a first name, not a nickname.
― Anonymous User 10/17/2018
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I adore this name for some reason. It sounds wholehearted, humble and earthly. One of my friends was going to name her son this but she changed it to Brayden last minute. I much prefer this name to names like that. It's not modern or trendy, it's just a classic, cute name.
As my username suggests, there's a fictional character named Billy Joe Cobra, who was based on Green Day frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong. However, this is just his stage name with his real name being Baruch Cohen (implying Jewish heritage). He is the supporting protagonist of the show, "Dude, That's My Ghost!" (from Jan Van Rijsselberge, the creator of "Robotboy") and was once a super famous, rich pop-star living the luxurious Hollywood lifestyle until a mysterious cause of death caused him to become a ghost. He still acts as if he's alive, though he can't be seen by people not wearing his stuff, and resides in his mansion that was inherited by his [distant] cousins, the Wright Family- who are just an average, normal family from a Midwest town. Billy struck up a bro-tastic relationship with the son, Spencer, and tries hard to help him fit in with the posh and lavish society and uppity elite. He also uses his past connections to aid Spencer in becoming a famous filmmaker/director.
98.41 percent of people with the first name Billy are male. The name Billy was given to 258 boys born in the US in 2016.
― Anonymous User 6/7/2017
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Billy Bear is the second most popular comic character and the star of his self-titled comic strip. He is a friendly, big strong bear who enjoys fishing in Billy Bear Woods. He was one of the rescuers of the Mungie Hotel fire.
I know one guy called Billy, and that's his actual name, not William. It's a nice name for a little kid, but I can't help but think it might look a bit silly when he gets older.
I am surprised no one mentioned these three musicians:Billy Idol (William Michael Albert Broad) b. November 30, 1955Billy Joel (William Martin "Billy" Joel) b. May 9, 1949Billy Ocean (born Leslie Leslie Sebastian Charles, January 21, 1950).
Billy (played by Neil Patrick Harris) is the Villain Protagonist of the awesome Internet musical 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog', created by Joss Whedon.
I knew a William that went by Billy, too, and he was an average boy - very nice, not super smart or super dumb, friendly, outgoing, and athletic. That's the kind of person I think of when I hear this name. Billy is also used for girls in the South - or used to be, anyway (e.g. "Billy Jean"). I think Billy is a cute name for a girl or a nickname for a boy.
― Anonymous User 5/25/2009
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I really like the name William and the nickname Will but I really don't like the name Billy. It's partially because I didn't really like the few Billys I've met but it just seems like a stupid name to me.
I know a Billy. Well a William but he goes by Billy. He's actually really smart and nice. Kinda the opposite of what you think of when he you hear the name Billy. See? Stereotypes aren't true! But please don't name your kid Billy. William is a way cooler name, a Will is a better nickname.
Country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus who came onto the scene in the early 1990s with his hit "Achy Breaky Heart" and his mullet. He is also the father of Miley Cyrus.
A famous bearer of this name is 80's rock singer Billy Idol who had hits like Sweet Sixteen, Rebel Yell & White Wedding. He was also in the band Generation X in the late 70's - early 80's (before he went solo).