Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby Jr. , and “Bing” started as a childhood nickname. The most common explanation is that it came from a comic strip character called “Bingo from Bingville,” which got shortened to “Bing.”

Quick Scoop

  • His legal name was Harry Lillis Crosby Jr.
  • As a kid, he was reportedly called “Bingo” after a comic strip reference.
  • Over time, “Bingo” was shortened to “Bing,” and the nickname stuck professionally.

A neat detail is that Crosby himself later described the nickname as something from his childhood that simply followed him into adulthood.

TL;DR

“Bing” wasn’t his birth name — it was a childhood nickname that likely came from a comic strip and was shortened from “Bingo.”