Masterpiece Generator Name Generator
How popular is the name Billy?
Births per year, rank history and how many Billies are alive today.
Billy (male) is a shortened form of the name William. Although Billy itself was given to 481 babies in England and Wales in 2025 (ranked 110th as a registered name), most Billies are registered as William, which ranked 25th in 2025 with 1,456 babies.
Most people called Billy are registered as William, and share that name's profile: the William you are most likely to meet is around 21 years old - or else around 86: the name has two living generations. Half of all Williams born in England and Wales are between 24 and 75, and there are at least 390,000 of them alive today. Only some Williams go by Billy.
How many babies are named Billy or William each year?
Combined registrations of William, Billy. Figures before 1996 are estimates.
Where does William rank as a registered name?
Where does Billy rank as a registered name?
Where this data comes from
Figures from 1996 onwards are the Office for National Statistics' annual baby-name registrations for England and Wales, which record every name given to three or more babies in a year. Figures before 1996 are estimates: the ONS published only top-100 rankings at ten-year intervals back to 1904, so counts for those years are modelled from the rankings, calibrated against Douglas Galbi's long-run research into English name frequencies, and shown with an uncertainty band. Estimates of living bearers combine these birth figures with national life tables and ONS mid-year population estimates.
One limit worth naming: these figures count names as registered at birth. Anyone who changes their name later in life - including trans people, and anyone who adopts a different name by deed poll or simply by use - is not reflected here. Birth registrations record where a name began, not the name a person lives with.
Common questions
Is Billy short for William?
Yes - Billy is a shortened form of William. Billies are usually registered as William at birth.
When was the name Billy most popular?
The full name William peaked in 1904, when around 41,800 babies in England and Wales were given the name. Billy itself peaked as a registered name in 2005, with 955 babies.
How many people are called Billy?
There's no official count of people who go by Billy, because it's a nickname rather than a registered name. What we can say: at least 390,000 people registered as William born in England and Wales are alive today, and some of them go by Billy.
How old is the typical Billy?
Most people called Billy are registered as William. Most living Williams are between 24 and 75; the most common age is about 21. There is a second cluster around 86.
Is Billy becoming more or less popular?
Declining: numbers have been falling in recent years.