Billy is a distinctive girls' name in United States, ranking #14628 in 2016 with 6 recorded births. This places Billy in the bottom 23% of ranked US girls' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Rare. The name reached its all-time peak in 2022 with 16 births ranking #7031. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 53.8%. In 2016, approximately 1 in every 295,248 girls born was named Billy. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Billy is the familiar short form of William and carries the inherited meaning usually given as "resolute protector". It feels open, friendly, and much less formal than the full traditional version.
Billy has long been used as both a nickname and a stand-alone given name. It remains especially familiar in Britain and the United States through its mix of informality and tradition.