Bill

Last seen for girls in 1986 at #10,912 · #5,208 for boys in 2025, 18 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1931 · 3,218 births
Debut · boys
53 births
In top 100 · boys
29 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
160,474
since 1880

Bill over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201940peak #57, 1931boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#5,20818
2024—#4,57122
2023—#4,61022
2022—#4,08926
2021—#4,36223
2020—#3,65329
2019—#3,79428
2018—#2,61748
2017—#2,84042
2016—#2,99339
2015—#3,36533
2014—#2,58247
2013—#2,46150
2012—#2,86941
2011—#2,79842
2010—#2,37553
2009—#2,25258
2008—#1,94873
2007—#1,74185
2006—#1,66985
2005—#1,59586
2004—#1,50289
2003—#1,56181
2002—#1,62074
2001—#1,307100
2000—#1,188114
1999—#1,241100
1998—#1,224100
1997—#1,169103
1996—#1,049116
1995—#1,137101
1994—#1,063110
1993—#885145
1992—#900138
1991—#936128
1990—#995112
1989—#886129
1988—#783145
1987—#787137
1986#10,9125#792131
1985—#665176
1984—#673166
1983—#599205
1982—#553244
1981—#562231
1980—#539251
1979—#505273
1978—#496267
1977—#441324
1976—#406364
1975—#385409
1974#7,6806#356466
1973#7,4356#330519
1972—#279686
1971—#253878
1970#6,3627#2331,020
1969#6,6176#2191,075
1968#6,2466#2011,161
1967#5,4577#1901,275
1966#4,8668#1731,556
1965—#1512,060
1964—#1262,737
1963#4,5399#1133,193
1962#5,8606#1083,574
1961#4,23910#1044,000
1960—#954,501
1959#5,5666#934,596
1958#3,92510#994,221
1957—#1233,118
1956#5,9525#1591,957
1955—#1711,656
1954—#1761,526
1953—#1761,522
1952#5,5635#1681,588
1951—#1571,653
1950#4,7386#1312,040
1949#3,6129#1062,765
1948#3,8838#843,926
1947#4,3457#764,681
1946#3,21710#724,354
1945#3,3888#663,711
1944#2,76211#663,815
1943#3,8017#653,990
1942#3,1949#653,794
1941#2,53212#683,453
1940#2,57211#673,267
1939#2,9229#673,161
1938#3,4507#673,113
1937#3,1468#643,119
1936#1,80118#613,166
1935#2,43912#603,282
1934#1,44026#593,534
1933#1,55223#593,223
1932#1,23734#583,362
1931#1,50225#573,218
1930#1,56925#593,160
1929#1,48727#632,947
1928#1,54127#642,976
1927#1,55928#692,863
1926#2,07618#742,643
1925#2,01819#842,381
1924#2,13718#922,067
1923#2,09118#981,833
1922#2,47914#1041,675
1921#1,98820#1211,482
1920#2,07918#1211,421
1919#2,81311#1301,196
1918#2,51913#1431,038
1917#2,10016#147891
1916#2,65811#147854
1915#2,05015#157746
1914#1,54118#159559
1913#1,88311#156466
1912#2,3607#168347
1911#2,4635#135243
1910#2,3985#124259
1909#2,2085#132205
1908#2,1015#144164
1907—#138174
1906—#154128
1905—#144147
1904—#149128
1903—#144129
1902—#137138
1901—#152104
1900—#117196
1899—#17483
1898—#17590
1897—#18184
1896—#19086
1895—#17590
1894—#19973
1893—#20171
1892—#20175
1891—#19165
1890—#18672
1889—#20861
1888—#23058
1887—#19363
1886—#20664
1885—#19566
1884—#17182
1883—#21550
1882—#20761
1881—#23742
1880—#22053
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Bill was already there! It came in at #220, and was given to 53 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2021–2025, when fewer than 27 boys a year got the name.

Where Bill is popular in 1940

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Bill, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Bill, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Bill, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Bill, so not publishedNHWashington: #26 for boys · 91 births · 1 in 138 boysWAIdaho: #41 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 173 boysIDMontana: #30 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 131 boysMTNorth Dakota: #70 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 310 boysNDMinnesota: #102 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 598 boysMNIllinois: #49 for boys · 220 births · 1 in 268 boysILWisconsin: #100 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 628 boysWIMichigan: #65 for boys · 129 births · 1 in 357 boysMINew York: #168 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 1,913 boysNYMassachusetts: #161 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,362 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Bill, so not publishedRIOregon: #24 for boys · 70 births · 1 in 113 boysORNevada: #38 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 126 boysNVWyoming: #31 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 124 boysWYSouth Dakota: #89 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 389 boysSDIowa: #31 for boys · 118 births · 1 in 178 boysIAIndiana: #45 for boys · 119 births · 1 in 239 boysINOhio: #43 for boys · 215 births · 1 in 252 boysOHPennsylvania: #100 for boys · 93 births · 1 in 826 boysPANew Jersey: #118 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,132 boysNJConnecticut: #142 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,588 boysCTCalifornia: #26 for boys · 390 births · 1 in 135 boysCAUtah: #50 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 213 boysUTColorado: #44 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 200 boysCONebraska: #29 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 152 boysNEMissouri: #36 for boys · 156 births · 1 in 187 boysMOKentucky: #60 for boys · 98 births · 1 in 291 boysKYWest Virginia: #65 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 340 boysWVVirginia: #123 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 698 boysVAMaryland: #143 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,225 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Bill, so not publishedDEArizona: #40 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 152 boysAZNew Mexico: #47 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 170 boysNMKansas: #33 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 170 boysKSArkansas: #38 for boys · 99 births · 1 in 194 boysARTennessee: #61 for boys · 89 births · 1 in 314 boysTNNorth Carolina: #111 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 578 boysNCSouth Carolina: #116 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 663 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #144 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,056 boysDCOklahoma: #30 for boys · 156 births · 1 in 137 boysOKLouisiana: #158 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 870 boysLAMississippi: #112 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 623 boysMSAlabama: #94 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 506 boysALGeorgia: #128 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 724 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Bill, so not publishedHITexas: #48 for boys · 235 births · 1 in 265 boysTXFlorida: #83 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 407 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Oregon#24 · 1 in 113
  2. California#26 · 1 in 135
  3. Washington#26 · 1 in 138
  4. Nebraska#29 · 1 in 152
  5. Montana#30 · 1 in 131

Best ever in a state: #12 in Nevada, 1935.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oregon#24701 in 113
California#263901 in 135
Washington#26911 in 138
Nebraska#29641 in 152
Montana#30361 in 131
Oklahoma#301561 in 137
Iowa#311181 in 178
Wyoming#31151 in 124
Kansas#33761 in 170
Missouri#361561 in 187
Arkansas#38991 in 194
Nevada#3851 in 126
Arizona#40331 in 152
Idaho#41281 in 173
Ohio#432151 in 252
Colorado#44491 in 200
Indiana#451191 in 239
New Mexico#47351 in 170
Texas#482351 in 265
Illinois#492201 in 268
Utah#50261 in 213
Kentucky#60981 in 291
Tennessee#61891 in 314
Michigan#651291 in 357
West Virginia#65571 in 340
North Dakota#70181 in 310
Florida#83381 in 407
South Dakota#89131 in 389
Alabama#94571 in 506
Pennsylvania#100931 in 826
Wisconsin#100401 in 628
Minnesota#102401 in 598
North Carolina#111641 in 578
Mississippi#112351 in 623
South Carolina#116321 in 663
New Jersey#118241 in 1,132
Virginia#123351 in 698
Georgia#128431 in 724
Connecticut#14271 in 1,588
Maryland#143111 in 1,225
District of Columbia#14461 in 1,056
Louisiana#158261 in 870
Massachusetts#161131 in 2,362
New York#168491 in 1,913
Alaska———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Maine———
New Hampshire———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Bill
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 637 spots since 2024 (#4,571 → #5,208)
  • 1,555 spots since 2020 (#3,653 → #5,208)
  • 1,843 spots since 2015 (#3,365 → #5,208)
  • Biggest jump: 59 spots in 1991 (#995 → #936)
  • Biggest drop: 178 spots in 1994 (#885 → #1,063)
Rise & fade · boys
51 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1931 at #57 (3,218 births)
  • Births halved by 1952, 21 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 29 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 29 yrs · run 1923–1948
  • Top 1,000: 114 yrs · run 1880–1993
Share of babies · boys
1 in 292
  • Highest: 1 in 292 boys born in 1934 were named Bill (0.34%)
  • Latest: 1 in 94,893 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #57 in 1931, was only 1 in 323 (0.31%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1940s
  • 23.5% of all boys named Bill (37,756) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s600#171 (1884)#208
1890s789#174 (1899)#187
1900s1,513#117 (1900)#141
1910s6,599#124 (1910)#147
1920s22,288#63 (1929)#89
1930s32,338#57 (1931)#61
1940s37,756#65 (1943)#74
1950s23,877#93 (1959)#145
1960s25,132#95 (1960)#148
1970s5,206#233 (1970)#368
1980s1,815#539 (1980)#684
1990s1,153#885 (1993)#1,060
2000s845#1,188 (2000)#1,638
2010s423#2,375 (2010)#2,869
2020s140#3,653 (2020)#4,416

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Bill in 1940

girls
#2,572
11 births · 1 in 103,957 girls
boys
#67
3,267 births · 1 in 355 boys

Top girls' names in 1940

  1. #1Mary56,216
  2. #2Barbara36,736
  3. #3Patricia32,665
  4. #4Judith22,385
  5. #5Betty22,077
  6. #6Carol21,759
  7. #7Nancy19,737
  8. #8Linda18,370
  9. #9Shirley17,881
  10. #10Sandra16,153
  11. #2,572Bill11

Top boys' names in 1940

  1. #1James62,481
  2. #2Robert61,198
  3. #3John54,786
  4. #4William44,779
  5. #5Richard37,425
  6. #6Charles31,689
  7. #7David27,690
  8. #8Thomas23,991
  9. #9Donald23,115
  10. #10Ronald20,741
  11. #67Bill3,267
More about 1940

girls

1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 103,957 of them was named Bill, which outranked 48.8% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Bill
  1. #2,424Wenda12
  2. #2,424Wynelle12
  3. #2,424Wynette12
  4. #2,572Bill11
  5. #2,572Alix11
  6. #2,572Almira11
  7. #2,572Aloha11
  8. #2,737Adah10
  9. #2,737Aggie10
  10. #2,737Albertina10

Tied with 164 names at #2,572; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,494Scarlett#3,429 → #935
  2. ↑ 1,465Lonna#2,206 → #741
  3. ↑ 834Pam#1,797 → #963
  4. ↑ 659Jody#1,638 → #979
  5. ↑ 633Laraine#1,474 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 481Fredia#996 → #1,477
  2. ↓ 430Eleanora#974 → #1,404
  3. ↓ 375Danielle#811 → #1,186
  4. ↓ 342Eloisa#930 → #1,272
  5. ↓ 298Coral#996 → #1,294

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 355 of them was named Bill, which outranked 98.3% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Bill
  1. #64Clarence3,487
  2. #65Samuel3,364
  3. #66Leroy3,311
  4. #67Bill3,267
  5. #68Frederick3,096
  6. #69Alfred3,062
  7. #70Gene3,060
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 565Whitney#1,458 → #893
  2. ↑ 447Gonzalo#1,297 → #850
  3. ↑ 419Weston#1,323 → #904
  4. ↑ 368Ashley#1,272 → #904
  5. ↑ 366Agustin#1,238 → #872
Fallers
  1. ↓ 886Montie#916 → #1,802
  2. ↓ 446Verlon#888 → #1,334
  3. ↓ 394Issac#857 → #1,251
  4. ↓ 392Otho#942 → #1,334
  5. ↓ 384Pearl#867 → #1,251

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1940 →