Old nicknames for William
Old nicknames for William include Will, Bill, Billy, Willie and Wilkie. Bill is the one that trips researchers up, because the letter swap has no obvious logic to it: it came from an old English rhyming habit that also turned Robert into Bob and Richard into Dick. So if you're asking what William is short for, the answer runs the other way. William is the formal name, and Bill is short for William.
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Related nickname questions
FAQs
What was the most common nickname for William?+
Bill was among the most common, but William has 6 recorded short forms - the right one depends on the era, region and family.
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