It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly-functional bonding wire which can reduce damages at a neck part, has good linearity of loops, stability of loop heights, and stability of bonded shape of a bonding wire, and can cope with semiconductor packaging techniques, such as low looping, thinning, achievement of a fine pitch, and three-dimensional packaging. A semiconductor-device bonding wire comprises a core member formed of an electrically-conductive metal, and a skin layer mainly composed of a face-centered cubic metal different from the core member and formed thereon. The percentage of orientations in crystalline orientations in the lengthwise direction in the surface of the skin layer is greater than or equal to 50%.