Bill

Meaning

Proper Noun

• A male given name.
• A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called "The Bill" or "Old Bill"

Origin

• Hypocorism of William. It is unclear how the initial W become a B; this could have been part of the medieval trend of swapping letters, similar to Dick for Rick. The shift could have also been for ease of pronunciation, as hard consonants are easier to pronounce than soft ones. King William III of England was mockingly called "King Billy" by his subjects in Ireland and Scotland.