2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bilbee
A variant spelling of an English locational surname referring to someone from Bilsby, Lincolnshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Bilbee. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bilbee surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Bilbee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bilbee
The surname Bilbee has its origins in England, dating back to the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "bilberi," meaning a wild blueberry or bilberry. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with bilberry bushes.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Bilbee can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Robert Bilbery. The name was also spelled as Bilbury, Bilberye, and Bilbyry during the medieval period, reflecting the variations in spelling common at the time.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Bilbee was John Bilbee, born in 1587 in Northamptonshire, England. He was a prominent Puritan minister and served as the vicar of St. Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, from 1624 until his death in 1640.
In the 16th century, the surname Bilbee was found in various parts of England, including Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire. The village of Bilborough in Nottinghamshire may have derived its name from the same root as the surname, potentially indicating a connection between the place and the family name.
Another individual of note was William Bilbee, born in 1625 in Lincolnshire. He was a successful merchant and landowner, known for his extensive property holdings in the area. His son, also named William Bilbee (1658-1712), followed in his father's footsteps and became a prominent figure in the local community.
In the 18th century, the Bilbee family had a strong presence in Lancashire, particularly in the town of Blackburn. One notable member was Thomas Bilbee (1734-1803), a respected businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the local community.
Throughout its history, the surname Bilbee has been associated with various professions and social classes, from clergymen and merchants to landowners and businessmen. While it may have originated as a descriptive name related to the bilberry plant, the Bilbee family has left a lasting impact across different regions of England over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bilbee
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bilbee bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bilbee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bilbee
Bilbee appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,379 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,379 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 6,184 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bilbee surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #143,511 | -4.5% |
| Count | 122 | 118 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bilbee bearers went from 122 to 118 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 6,184 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #143,511.
FAQ
Bilbee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bilbee?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Bilbee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Bilbee?
Bilbee ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Bilbee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bilbee.
Has Bilbee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bilbee went from 122 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bilbee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bilbee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bilbee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Hispanic (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bilbee (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bilbee mean?
A variant spelling of an English locational surname referring to someone from Bilsby, Lincolnshire. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bilbee (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Bilbee?
If you just want to know how common the surname Bilbee is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.