Billy
Meaning: Its source is wil helm, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Determined protector."
Origin: "wil helm."
Languages: This boy's name is used in English.
Alternative Spellings: Billie
Feminine Forms: Billie
Popularity: The name Billy ranked 401st in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 73rd in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name makes a strong showing in state popularity data of the 1970s, but makes few (if any) appearances on lists compiled after that period.
Narrative: When William the Conqueror led his army to victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, he not only captured England for himself and his barons, he captured it for a host of French names. Robert, Roger and Richard were numbered among the victors that day, but none were so triumphant as the name of the Conqueror himself.
William has remained a royal name in the United Kingdom for nearly one thousand years. If the current Prince William ascends the throne with that name, he will rule as William V.
Additionally, William figures prominently among nature's nobility, those who have achieved fame due to their skill. Poets Shakespeare, Blake and Wordsworth, three U.S. Presidents, novelists, scientists, and many star actors have added their personal luster to this royal name.
Arts and Music
- Billy Ray Cyrus
- Winner of the 1992 Country Music Association Single of the Year award, for ''''Achy Breaky Heart'''' (see list of Country Music Association Award Winners)
- Billy DeBeck (born 1890, died 1942)
American cartoonist.
- Barney Google (see list of Cartoonists)
- ''Billy, Don't Be a Hero''
- A 1970s hit recorded by Bo Donaldson and the Haywoodes (see list of Names in Song titles)
- Billy Idol (born 1955)
English singer. Original name: William Broad.
- Made his television debut on ''''American Bandstand'''' (see list of Musicians Who Debuted on ''American Bandstand'')
- Musical guest on ''''Saturday Night Live'''' (see list of Musical Guests on ''Saturday Night Live'')
- ''Ode to Billy Joe''
- A 1967 hit recorded by Bobby Gentry (see list of Names in Song titles)
- Billy Joel (born 1949)
American singer and songwriter.
- 1979 Grammy winner for best male vocal performance, for ''''52nd Street'''' (see list of Grammy winners for Best Vocal Performance)
- Performed on ''''We Are the World'''' (see list of Performers on ''We Are the World'')
- Musical guest on ''''Saturday Night Live'''' (see list of Musical Guests on ''Saturday Night Live'')
- Billy Levise
- Mitch Ryder (see list of Nicknames of Musicians)
- Billy Ocean (born 1950)
English singer.
- Musical guest on ''''Saturday Night Live'''' (see list of Musical Guests on ''Saturday Night Live'')
- Made his television debut on ''''American Bandstand'''' (see list of Musicians Who Debuted on ''American Bandstand'')
- Billy Preston (born 1946)
American singer.
- Musical guest on ''''Saturday Night Live'''' (see list of Musical Guests on ''Saturday Night Live'')
- Billy Squier (born 1950)
American singer.
- Musical guest on ''''Saturday Night Live'''' (see list of Musical Guests on ''Saturday Night Live'')
- Billy Strayhorn (born 1915, died 1967)
American jazz musician.
- Pianist and composer; wrote ''''Take the ''A'' Train'''' (see list of Readers' Picks for the Jazz Hall of Fame)
Leadership
- William Franklin Graham Jr., (born 1918)
American evangelist.
- The leading American religious revivalist (see list of Twenty people who articulate the longings of the last 100 years, exemplifying courage, selflessness, exuberance, superhuman ability and amazing grace)
- William ''Billy'' Mitchell (born 1879, died 1936)
American air officer.
- Commander of American air forces, 1917-18 (see list of Miscellaneous Military Leaders)
Miscellaneous
- William Franklin Graham Jr., (born 1918)
American evangelist.
- 1983 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
Science and Philosophy
- William ''Billy'' Mitchell (born 1879, died 1936)
American air officer.
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
Sports
- Billy Arnold
- 1930 Indianapolis 500 winner (see list of Indianapolis 500 Winners)
- Billy Burch
Hockey player.
- 1925 Hart Trophy winner (see list of Hart Trophy Winners)
- Billy Burke
- 1931 U.S. Open golf tournament winner (see list of U.S. Open Golf Champions)
- Billy Cannon
American football player.
- 1960 National Football League number-one draft pick (see list of Football #1 Draft Picks)
- 1959 Heisman Memorial Trophy winner (see list of Heisman Trophy Winners)
- Billy Casper
- 1959, 1966 U.S. Open golf tournament winner (see list of U.S. Open Golf Champions)
- 1970 Masters golf tournament winner (see list of Masters Tournament Golf Champions)
- Billy Conn (born 1917)
Middleweight boxer.
- Member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame (see list of Modern inductees)
- Billy Cunningham
American basketball player.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Billy Donohue
Jockey.
- 1883 Kentucky Derby winner (see list of Jockeys Who Have Won the Kentucky Derby)
- Billy Evans
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Billy Golembiewski
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Billy Goodman
Baseball player.
- 1950 American League Batting Champion (see list of American League Batting Champions)
- Billy Graham (born 1922, died 1992)
American welterweight boxer.
- Member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame (see list of Modern inductees)
- Billy Hamilton
Baseball player.
- 1891 National League Batting Champion (see list of National League Batting Champions)
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Billy Hardwick
- Member of the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame (see list of Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame)
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Billy Herman
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Billy Ray Hobley
American basketball player.
- Harlem Globetrotter (see list of The Harlem Globetrotters)
- Billy Kidd
Skier.
- Elected to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1986 (see list of Members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame)
- Billy Knox
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Billy Sims
American football player.
- 1980 National Football League number-one draft pick (see list of Football #1 Draft Picks)
- 1980 National Football League Rookie of the Year (see list of NFL Rookies of the Year)
- 1978 Heisman Memorial Trophy winner (see list of Heisman Trophy Winners)
- Billy Sixty
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Billy Vessels
American football player.
- 1952 Heisman Memorial Trophy winner (see list of Heisman Trophy Winners)
- Billy Welu
- Member of the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame (see list of Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame)
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Billy Williams
Baseball player.
- 1961 National League Rookie of the Year (see list of National League Rookies of the Year)
- 1972 National League Batting Champion (see list of National League Batting Champions)
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
Stage and Screen
- ''Bronco'' Billy Anderson
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Billy ''Pop'' Attmore
- 1970s Mouseketeer (see list of 1970s Mickey Mouse Club)
- Billy Barty (born 1924)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Billy Campbell
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Andrew Shue (see list of Characters on ''Melrose Place'')
- Billy Castroverti
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Tom Verica (see list of Characters on ''L.A. Law'')
- Billy Cooper
Fictional character.
- Character on the soap opera ''''Another World'''' (see list of Characters on ''Another World'')
- Billy Crystal
American comedian and actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Portrayed Jodie Dallas (see list of Actors on ''Soap'')
- A cast member on ''''Saturday Night Live,'''' from 1984-1985 (see list of Saturday Night Live)
- Billy Daniels (born 1915, died 1988)
American singer.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Billy Eckstine (born 1914)
American jazz singer and composer.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Billy Gilbert (born 1894, died 1971)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Billy Gray (born 1938)
American actor.
- Portrayed Bud Anderson (see list of Actors on ''Father Knows Best'')
- William Franklin Graham Jr., (born 1918)
American evangelist.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Billy Sunday
Fictional character.
- Played by John Turturro (see list of Character from Spike Lee's He Got Game)
- Billy Tate
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Jimmy Baio (see list of Characters on ''Soap'')
- Billy Vera
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Billy Warlock (born 1960)
- Portrayed Flip Phillips in 1982 (see list of Actors on ''Happy Days'')
- Billy Wilder (born 1906)
Austrian writer, director and producer.
- Two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director: 1945, for The Lost Weekend; 1960, for The Apartment (see list of Oscar Winners for Best Director)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- 1990 Kennedy Center Honors recipient (see list of Kennedy Center Honors Recipients)
- Billy Dee Williams (born 1937)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
The Literary World
- Billy Hanson
Fictional character.
- Character in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt (see list of Characters in Literature of the American South)
- William Franklin Graham Jr., (born 1918)
American evangelist.
- Author of the 1975 nonfiction best-seller Angels: God''s Secret Agents (see list of Bestselling Nonfiction Authors in the U.S.)
- Billy de Lois
Fictional character.
- A student at Ewen High School in Stephen King''s novel Carrie (see list of Characters in Carrie)
- Billy Nolan
Fictional character.
- Chris''s boyfriend in Stephen King''s novel Carrie (see list of Characters in Carrie)
- Billy Verecker
Fictional character.
- An Arnette ambulance volunteer in Stephen King''s novel The Stand (see list of Characters in The Stand)
- Billy Warner
Fictional character.
- Ray Booth''s buddy who helped beat up Nick in Stephen King''s novel The Stand (see list of Characters in The Stand)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billie |  |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Bailee | |
|
|
||
| Bailey | |
|
|
||
| Bailley | |
|
|
||
| Baillie | |
|
|
||
| Bailly | |
|
|
||
| Baily | |
|
|
||
| Bali | |
|
|
||
| Bayla | |
|
|
||
| Baylee | |
|
|
||
| Baylie | |
|
|
||
| Bayly | |
|
|
||
| Beaulah | |
|
|
||
| Bela | |
|
|
||
| Bella | |
|
|
||
| Beula | |
|
|
||
| Beulah | |
|
|
||
| Bilee | |
|
|
||
| Billi | |
|
|
||
| Billie | |
|
|
||
| Billye | |
|
|
||
| Bula | |
|
|
||
| Bulah | |
|
|
||
| Bailey | |
|
|
||
| Bela | |
|
|
Teasing Nicknames:
- Hillbilly
-
Battling Billy
In reference to William Wells, British heavyweight boxing champion.
- Billy Goat
- Billy Willy
- Billy Bob
- Billy the Kid
Associations:
''The Bill'' is British slang for the police.
''Bill'' and ''billies'' are slang terms for paper money.
''Billy Seldom'' was a term for wheat bread used among American slaves.
The Billy Graham Crusades are large, public meetings and sermons conducted by Billy Graham, a popular Christian evangelist.
''Uncle Bill'' refers to the police force.
To ''fit the bill'' means to fill the requirements of something.
Meaning: Its source is Williamina, an English name meaning "Determined protector."
Origin: "Williamina."
Popularity: The name Billy ranked 1481st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilee |  |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Billi | |
|
|
|
|
| Billie | |
|
|
|
|
| Billye | |
|
|
|
|
| Bailee | |
|
|
||
| Bailey | |
|
|
||
| Bailley | |
|
|
||
| Baillie | |
|
|
||
| Bailly | |
|
|
||
| Baily | |
|
|
||
| Bali | |
|
|
||
| Bayla | |
|
|
||
| Baylee | |
|
|
||
| Baylie | |
|
|
||
| Bayly | |
|
|
||
| Beaulah | |
|
|
||
| Bela | |
|
|
||
| Bella | |
|
|
||
| Beula | |
|
|
||
| Beulah | |
|
|
||
| Bula | |
|
|
||
| Bulah | |
|
|
||
| Bailey | |
|
|
||
| Bela | |
|
|
||
| Billie | |
|
|
Teasing Nicknames:
- Hillbilly
-
Battling Billy
In reference to William Wells, British heavyweight boxing champion.
- Billy Goat
Associations:
''The Bill'' is British slang for the police.
To ''sell someone a bill of goods'' means to lie or to fool someone.
''Bill'' and ''billies'' are slang terms for paper money.
''Billy Seldom'' was a term for wheat bread used among American slaves.
The Billy Graham Crusades are large, public meetings and sermons conducted by Billy Graham, a popular Christian evangelist.
''Uncle Bill'' refers to the police force.
To ''fit the bill'' means to fill the requirements of something.
