Billie Eilish Explains Why She “Absolutely Despises” Her Name

Billy Eilish Reflects on Her Name

Billy Eilish discussed her childhood dislike for her name during a recent interview.

Celebrity Questions

In the latest cover of British Fashion, Eilish answered questions from well-known celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan, Stella McCartney, and her brother Finneas.

Among those who posed questions was actor Idris Elba, who inquired about Eilish’s feelings regarding her name, stating, “How did it feel you? Have you been proud of your name, or are you embarrassed?”

“I like this question! I absolutely hated my name when I was a child,” Eilish responded, recalling that she often heard people say “Billy” was a “boy’s name.”

“I remember thinking it was just so lame, and all I wanted was a girl’s name, something like purple or lavender—something beautiful and floral,” she continued. “It’s funny because now, there’s no other name that could represent me except Billy. I love my name so much. It’s truly the only name that fits who I am.”

She explained that she was named after her grandfather, William, saying, “So technically the first Billy I ever knew was my grandfather, although I never met him.”

Eilish’s Struggles with Identity

She recalled how the first woman named Billy she recognized was Billie Piper from Doctor Who, and noted her excitement mixed with jealousy, saying, “Why did anyone else get to share my name? That’s unacceptable!”

During another interview, Eilish admitted to rapper Nicki Minaj that she felt “uncomfortable” expressing her feminine identity as an artist. “I had to really convince myself that I was beautiful,” Eilish stated. “Being a woman is difficult.”

She has often spoken candidly about the pressures of body image for women today. In January, she warned fans about the risks of extreme dieting, reflecting on a time “a couple of years ago” when she “lost a lot of weight” and was “extremely unhappy and didn’t even realize how unhappy I was.”

In 2019, she shared how a thigh injury led to her suffering from depression in her youth, recalling, “It sent me into a hole.”

She reflected on her teenage years, mentioning, “I hated myself and dealt with a lot of stupid things.” Much of this stemmed from her anger towards her body and the pain it caused her.

On Saturday (April 12), Eilish joined Charli XCX at Coachella 2025 to perform their collaboration “Guessing,” which was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group.