2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Billias
A Greek surname likely derived from the Greek word "billia" meaning "book" or "document".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Billias. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Billias 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Billias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Billias, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Billias
The surname BILLIAS originates from Greece and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "vilia," meaning "grazing land" or "pasture." The name was initially associated with individuals who lived in or near grazing lands.
One of the earliest records of the BILLIAS surname can be found in a manuscript dated 1492, which documented land transactions in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece. This document mentions a certain "Georgios Billias" as a landowner in the village of Delvinaki.
In the 16th century, the name BILLIAS appeared in several church records and tax registers across various Greek regions, such as Macedonia, Thessaly, and the Peloponnese. It is worth noting that during this period, the surname was often spelled differently, including variations like "Villias," "Billeas," and "Billios."
A notable figure bearing the BILLIAS surname was Ioannis Billias, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Ioannina, Epirus, during the late 17th century. Records indicate that he was involved in trade with other parts of the Ottoman Empire and had significant influence in the local community.
In the 19th century, Konstantinos Billias (1804-1878) was a Greek scholar and educator who played a crucial role in the development of modern Greek education. He was born in the village of Agios Georgios, Epirus, and later became the director of the prestigious Rizarios School in Athens.
Another prominent BILLIAS was Georgios Billias (1860-1932), a Greek lawyer and politician from the island of Crete. He actively participated in the Cretan struggle for union with Greece and served as a member of the Cretan Parliament.
The BILLIAS surname has also been associated with several notable figures in the United States, particularly among Greek-American communities. One such individual was Peter Billias (1918-2002), a distinguished historian and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who specialized in American foreign policy and diplomatic history.
While the BILLIAS surname may not be as widespread as some other Greek surnames, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and historical landscape of Greece, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Billias
Among Census respondents with the surname Billias, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Billias 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 Billias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Billias
Billias appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 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 Billias 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 | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Billias bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Billias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Billias?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Billias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Billias?
Billias ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Billias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Billias.
Has Billias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Billias went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Billias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Billias, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Billias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Billias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Billias (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 Billias mean?
A Greek surname likely derived from the Greek word "billia" meaning "book" or "document". 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 Billias (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 have the surname Billias?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.