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

Billie, 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 Billie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Billie in America

Billie is the 12351st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Billie surname appeared 2,517 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Billie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Billie 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 Billie

The surname Billie originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "byl" meaning a hill or rising ground, and "ley" meaning a meadow or field. This suggests that the name referred to someone who lived near a hilly meadow or pasture.

In ancient times, the name was spelled in various ways such as Bylie, Byly, and Billey. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in Scottish charters and records from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One notable historical figure who bore this name was Sir Adam Billie, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was John Billie, a merchant from Aberdeen who is mentioned in court records from the 1400s.

The Billie surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Billie Brae in Renfrewshire and Billie Hill in Aberdeenshire. These locations likely took their names from the families who originally inhabited or owned the land.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several members of the Billie family played important roles in Scottish history and politics. One notable figure was Sir William Billie, a diplomat and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1609 to 1610.

As the centuries passed, the Billie name spread beyond Scotland to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the Americas and other parts of the world. Some notable bearers of the name include:

1. James Billie (1944-present), a Seminole Native American leader and former chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
2. Michael Billie (1945-2005), an American actor and stunt performer known for his work in films like "Lethal Weapon" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."
3. Olivia Billie (1900-1984), a Paiute basket weaver and artist from Nevada, known for her intricate and colorful baskets.
4. Archibald Billie (1836-1916), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
5. James Billie (1771-1848), a Scottish-born Canadian fur trader and explorer who worked for the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Billie

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!