Find out how popular the last name Bellis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bellis.

Bellis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bellis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bellis in America

Bellis is the 11914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bellis surname appeared 2,628 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bellis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bellis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bellis

The surname Bellis is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "belle," meaning "beautiful" or "fair." It is thought to have emerged as a descriptive nickname in medieval times, possibly referring to someone with a striking appearance or a fair complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards, including the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a Thomas Bellis. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a John Bellis.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, with a reference to a Thomas Bellis in 1349. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a William Bellis, while the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1380 list a John Bellis.

During the 16th century, the surname Bellis was found in various parts of England, including London, where a Robert Bellis was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1541. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1576 mention a William Bellis.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Bellis was Sir John Bellis (c. 1560-1630), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1608-1609.

Another notable figure was Robert Bellis (1620-1695), an English mathematician and astronomer who published works on navigation and astronomy.

In the 18th century, John Bellis (1714-1795) was a prominent English engraver and printmaker known for his architectural and landscape prints.

The 19th century saw the birth of James Bellis (1835-1899), a British architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Bellis was Sir Edward Bellis (1882-1964), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bellis Charitable Trust, which supported various educational and charitable initiatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bellis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bellis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bellis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bellis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bellis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bellis, please contact us.

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