2000
#7,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,902
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Bilbrey
Derived from a place name meaning "fortified town" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,204 Americans carry the last name Bilbrey. That puts it at #8,604 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,531 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bilbrey 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
4.2K
1 in 81,531
Census rank
#8,604
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,666 bearers of the surname Bilbrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8604th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bilbrey
The surname Bilbrey has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words 'bild' or 'bilde', meaning 'hill' or 'ridge', and 'burh', meaning 'fortified place' or 'borough'. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a fortified hill or ridge settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as 'de Bildeburgh'. This early spelling suggests a connection to a specific place name, potentially an area near present-day Bilborough, Nottinghamshire.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several places with similar names, such as 'Bildewurde' (Bedfordshire) and 'Bildeworde' (Hertfordshire), which may have contributed to the development of the surname.
The Bilbrey surname has been documented in various historical records throughout the centuries. Notable individuals include John Bilbrey (1527-1592), a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, and William Bilbrey (1678-1745), a respected theologian and author from Oxford.
During the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to Wales, with records showing a Thomas Bilbrey (1543-1612) residing in Denbighshire. In the 18th century, the Bilbrey family had a strong presence in Staffordshire, with several members recorded in parish registers, such as James Bilbrey (1712-1782) and Elizabeth Bilbrey (1724-1796).
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname in the United States was Joseph Bilbrey (1765-1837), who immigrated from England and settled in Virginia. His descendants later moved westward, contributing to the spread of the name across the country.
Other notable individuals with the Bilbrey surname include Richard Bilbrey (1879-1958), a prominent lawyer and politician from Tennessee, and Mary Bilbrey (1901-1987), an educator and author from Kentucky.
Throughout its history, the Bilbrey surname has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with various spellings such as Bilbury, Bilborough, and Bilbro appearing in different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bilbrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bilbrey 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 Bilbrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 3,351
- Two or more races4.0% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 113
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bilbrey
Bilbrey 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
#8,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,855
-47 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 672 places
2020
#8,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,666
-189 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,864 | 3,902 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,536 | 3,855 | 1.31 | -47 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 672 places |
| 2020 | #8,604 | 3,666 | 1.23 | -189 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 68 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 Bilbrey 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 | #8,536 | #8,604 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,855 | 3,666 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.23 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bilbrey bearers went from 3,855 to 3,666 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,536 to #8,604.
FAQ
Bilbrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bilbrey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,204 living Americans carry the surname Bilbrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,531 residents.
How common is Bilbrey?
Bilbrey ranks #8,604 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,666 people with the surname Bilbrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,204), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bilbrey.
Has Bilbrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bilbrey went from 3,855 recorded bearers to 3,666. That is a decrease of 189 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,536 to #8,604.
What does the Census say about the background of Bilbrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilbrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Bilbrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (3,351 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bilbrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Bilbrey (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 Bilbrey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "fortified town" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there. 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 Bilbrey (1.23 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 common is the surname Bilbrey?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Bilbrey at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.