Fair Value Disclosures (Roll Forward of Level 3 Assets and Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Mortgage banking income	$ 455	$ 395	$ 565
Acquired from FDIC Securities [Member]
Beginning balance	745	861	994
Interest income	23	33	37
Mortgage banking income	0	0	0
Other noninterest income	0	0	0
Included in unrealized net holding gains (losses) in OCI	(45)	(38)	(14)
Purchases	0	0
Issuances	0	0	0
Sales	0	0	0
Settlements	(97)	(111)	(156)
Ending balance	626	745	861
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the period, attributable to assets and liabilities still held at end of period	23	33	37
Residential MSRs [Member]
Beginning balance	844	1,047	627
Interest income	0	0	0
Mortgage banking income	10	(221)	229
Other noninterest income	0	0	0
Included in unrealized net holding gains (losses) in OCI	0	0	0
Purchases	0	0
Issuances	156	141	336
Sales	0	0	0
Settlements	(130)	(123)	(145)
Ending balance	880	844	1,047
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the period, attributable to assets and liabilities still held at end of period	10	(221)	229
Net Derivatives [Member]
Beginning balance	17	(11)	54
Interest income	0	0	0
Mortgage banking income	87	94	21
Other noninterest income	(6)	(2)	0
Included in unrealized net holding gains (losses) in OCI	0	0	0
Purchases	1	0
Issuances	74	75	65
Sales	0	0	0
Settlements	(169)	(139)	(151)
Ending balance	4	17	(11)
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the period, attributable to assets and liabilities still held at end of period	4	17	(11)
Private Equity and Similar Investments [Member]
Beginning balance	329	291	323
Interest income	0	0	0
Mortgage banking income	0	0	0
Other noninterest income	49	27	33
Included in unrealized net holding gains (losses) in OCI	0	0	0
Purchases	81	67	58
Issuances	0	0	0
Sales	(154)	(50)	(59)
Settlements	(16)	(7)	(64)
Transfers into Level 3		1
Ending balance	289	329	291
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the period, attributable to assets and liabilities still held at end of period	$ (2)	$ 15	$ 22

Net unrealized gains (losses) included in net income relating to assets and liabilities at end of period

No definition available.

Name:	bbt_NetUnrealizedGainsLossesIncludedInNetIncomeRelatedToLevelThreeAssetsAndLiabilitiesAtEndOfPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	bbt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) for financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetGainLossIncludedInOtherComprehensiveIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of issuances of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetIssues
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of purchases of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetPurchases
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of sale of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetSales
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of settlement of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetSettlements
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of transfer of financial instrument classified as an asset into level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetTransfersIntoLevel3
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Income from mortgage banking activities (fees and commissions) and servicing real estate mortgages, credit cards, and other financial assets held by others net of any related impairment of capitalized service costs. Also includes any premiums received in lieu of regular servicing fees on such loans only as earned over the life of the loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FeesAndCommissionsMortgageBankingAndServicing
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before accretion (amortization) of purchase discount (premium) of interest income on nonoperating securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the total of noninterest income derived from certain activities and assets including (for example): (1) venture capital investments; (2) bank owned life insurance; (3) foreign currency transactions; and (4) mortgage servicing rights.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.13)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoninterestIncomeOther
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentAxis=bbt_SecuritiesAcquiredFromFdicMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentAxis=bbt_MortgageServicingRightsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentAxis=bbt_NetDerivativesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentAxis=us-gaap_PrivateEquityFundsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: