Bille
A feminine name of French origin meaning "beautiful, pretty".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Bille. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 54.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Bille today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bille births was 1929 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bille. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Bille is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Billes were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bille. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1929
8 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1933 SSA rank
#3,702
Tracked since 1918
Gender
Gender distribution for Bille
Bille is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 51 total registrations, 23 (45.1%) were male and 28 (54.9%) were female.
Bille as a male name
- Ranked #3,702 in 1933
- 5 male births in 1933
- Peak: 1929 (8 births)
Bille as a female name
- Ranked #5,906 in 1955
- 5 female births in 1955
- Peak: 1947 (7 births)
Popularity
Bille: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bille from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 18 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bille by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bille during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bille
The name Bille is believed to have its origins in the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic people in Scandinavia and parts of northwestern Europe during the Viking Age (around the 8th to 11th centuries). It is thought to be a diminutive or nickname form of the Old Norse name Billing or Bili, which itself is derived from the Old Norse word "bill," meaning "sword" or "battle-axe."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bille can be found in the 13th century Icelandic Sagas, which are prose narratives that recount the histories and legends of the Norse people. In these sagas, Bille is mentioned as a personal name, suggesting its use among the Norse communities of that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Bille. One of the earliest was Bille Gram (1357-1403), a Danish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Swedish-Danish wars of the late 14th century.
Another prominent figure was Bille Bredal (1545-1630), a Danish nobleman and statesman who served as the Lord High Steward of Denmark during the reign of King Christian IV. He was known for his involvement in the Kalmar War between Denmark and Sweden in the early 17th century.
In the 19th century, Bille August (1857-1937) was a Danish architect who designed several notable buildings in Copenhagen, including the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the Copenhagen City Hall. He was also a prolific writer and critic who contributed to the development of Danish architectural theory and practice.
Moving into the 20th century, Bille Woodruff (born 1964) is an American film director and producer best known for his work on films such as "Honey" (2003) and "Beauty Shop" (2005). He has also directed music videos for various artists, including OutKast and TLC.
Finally, Bille Carlsson (born 1966) is a Swedish former professional tennis player who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 21 in the world. She won six singles titles and three doubles titles on the WTA Tour and represented Sweden in several Grand Slam tournaments.
While the name Bille may have its roots in the Old Norse language and Viking culture, it has endured and been adopted in various cultures throughout history, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in fields ranging from politics and warfare to architecture, literature, film, and sports.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Bille
People
Bille + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bille as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bille: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bille?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bille going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Bille a common name?
We classify Bille as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 51 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bille most popular?
The single biggest year for Bille was 1929, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bille is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bille a female name?
Yes, 54.9% of people registered as Bille in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.