2000
#4,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.39
Rare Last name
Bill
A surname derived from a medieval nickname for a cheerful or resolute person, from Middle English bile, meaning "resolve."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,309 Americans carry the last name Bill. That puts it at #6,995 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,561 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bill 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,561
Census rank
#6,995
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,630 bearers of the surname Bill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6995th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bill, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Black (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bill
Among Census respondents with the surname Bill, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Black (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bill 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 Bill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.1% · 3,339
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 359
- Black or African American7.6% · 353
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.8% · 316
- Two or more races3.8% · 177
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 86
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bill
Bill 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
#6,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,246
-1,199 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 1,480 places
2020
#6,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,630
-616 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 521 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,994 | 6,445 | 2.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,474 | 5,246 | 1.78 | -1,199 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 1,480 places |
| 2020 | #6,995 | 4,630 | 1.55 | -616 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 521 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 Bill 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 | #6,474 | #6,995 | -8.0% |
| Count | 5,246 | 4,630 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.78 | 1.55 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bill bearers went from 5,246 to 4,630 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 521 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,474 to #6,995.
FAQ
Bill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bill?
Name Census estimates that about 5,309 living Americans carry the surname Bill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,561 residents.
How common is Bill?
Bill ranks #6,995 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,630 people with the surname Bill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,309), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bill.
Has Bill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bill went from 5,246 recorded bearers to 4,630. That is a decrease of 616 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,474 to #6,995.
What does the Census say about the background of Bill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bill, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Black (7.6%). 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 Bill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.1% (3,339 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.1%), Hispanic (7.8%), Black (7.6%). 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 Bill (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 Bill mean?
A surname derived from a medieval nickname for a cheerful or resolute person, from Middle English bile, meaning "resolve." 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 Bill (1.55 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 Bill?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Bill? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.