Billie Eilish Opens Up About Embracing Her Unique Name in British Vogue
In a recent interview with British Vogue, singer Billie Eilish shared her journey to accepting her distinctive name. The 9-time Grammy winner responded to questions from fellow celebrities, including Idris Elba, who inquired about the origins of her name and how she felt about it growing up.
Eilish admitted that she used to despise her name as a child, constantly hearing remarks like “I thought Billie was a boy’s name.” She longed for a more traditionally feminine name like Violet or Lavender. However, over time, she has come to cherish her name, noting that it now feels like the perfect fit for her identity.
The singer revealed that she was named after her grandfather, whose first name was William. While Eilish never met her grandfather, she was inspired by actress Billie Piper from Doctor Who, but also felt possessive of her name when hearing it associated with someone else.
Eilish’s full name, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell, includes the unique middle name “Pirate,” a nod to her brother Finneas’ playful suggestion before her birth. Despite almost being named Pirate, her grandfather’s passing led to the choice of Billie. Recently, she surprised fans with a guest appearance alongside Charli XCX at Coachella, performing their hit song “Guess” together.
(Source: Adapted from an article on People)
