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

Bill, 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 Bill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bill in America

Bill is the 6474th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bill surname appeared 5,246 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bill 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 Bill

The surname Bill is an English occupational name that originated in the late 12th century. It derives from the Old English word "bil" or "billa" meaning a sword, staff, or pruning hook. This suggests that the original bearers of this name may have been soldiers, foresters, or gardeners.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Bill is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, which mention a William Bil. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the Bill surname, such as Reginald Bill from Oxfordshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Bill was most prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in one of these regions, where the occupations associated with the name were common.

In the 14th century, the spelling of the surname varied, with forms like Bille, Bylle, and Byll appearing in historical records. This was a common occurrence during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Bill was Sir John Bill, a member of the English Parliament who lived from around 1400 to 1470. He served as the Sheriff of Lincolnshire and represented the county in Parliament during the reigns of Henry V and Henry VI.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Bill, a 16th-century English composer and organist who lived from around 1490 to 1558. He served as the Master of the Choristers at the Chapel Royal and composed several sacred works that were performed during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, the surname Bill was found in the records of the English settler communities in North America. One notable individual was Philip Bill, who was born in England in 1635 and later settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he became a prominent landowner and magistrate.

During the 18th century, the Bill surname was carried by individuals such as John Bill, a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy from around 1730 to 1801. He participated in several notable battles during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

In the 19th century, the Bill surname was associated with individuals like Ledyard Bill, an American lawyer and politician who lived from 1823 to 1897. He served as the Secretary of State for New York and was involved in various legal cases related to civil rights and equal protection under the law.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bill

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

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 Bill 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 Bill 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 Bill was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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