Billy vs Phillip

Billy and Phillipcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Billy was ranked #56 and Phillip #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Billy was ranked #127 and Phillip #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Billy was ranked #311 and Phillip #403 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Billy and Phillip over time

Billy and Phillip appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Phillip reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Billy in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

One moved ahead of the other
In 2001, Billy moved ahead of Phillip in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #188 and #188 the year before became #145 and #409.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Billy #68 in 1998, Phillip #180 in 1996.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Billy held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Phillip in 0.
Highest recorded here: Billy #68 in 1998, Phillip #180 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Billy #127, Phillip #1460.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1970–2024
Billy held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Phillip in 14.
Highest recorded here: Billy #56 in 2024, Phillip #154 in 1988.
The order changed in 2001: Billy moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #188 and #188; by 2001 that had become #145 and #409.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Billy #56, Phillip #785.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1998–2012
Billy held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Phillip in 4.
Highest recorded here: Billy #218 in 2001, Phillip #189 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Billy #311, Phillip #403.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Phillip

Pairs where Phillip shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Adrian vs Phillip
Adrian and Phillip changed places 13 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1994, ending at #62 and #90.
Adrian · Phillip · 42 shared years, 1952–1994 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 1994 New South Wales, Australia ranking
John vs Phillip
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — John #1 in 1952, Phillip #14 in 1952.
John · Phillip · 43 shared years, 1952–1994 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1952 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Richard vs Phillip
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Richard and Phillip averaged 8.8 places apart, ending at #81 and #90.
Richard · Phillip · 43 shared years, 1952–1994 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1994 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Ian vs Phillip
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ian and Phillip averaged 8.9 places apart, ending at #78 and #63.
Ian · Phillip · 38 shared years, 1952–1989 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1989 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Billy, Phillip
Field	Billy	Phillip
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	male	male
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Origin	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation		Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #39 (2025)	Norway · Boys #268 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	82/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Billy and Phillip both have 2 syllables.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Billy

Popularity journey

First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1970–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Phillip

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1994
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1994).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #268 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys