2000
#42,677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 478
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Billingham
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Billingham in County Durham, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 514 Americans carry the last name Billingham. That puts it at #50,441 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 666,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Billingham 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 Billingham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
514
1 in 666,837
Census rank
#50,441
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
448
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 448 bearers of the surname Billingham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50441st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Billingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Billingham
The surname Billingham has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Northumberland. It is a locational name derived from the town of Billingham, which is situated near the River Tees. The name itself is believed to come from the Old English words "bille," meaning a hill or ridge, and "inga," meaning a dweller or follower, combined with "ham," meaning a homestead or village.
Billingham is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Billinghame," referring to the village in Northumberland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Billingham was Robert de Billingham, who lived in the 13th century and was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1230. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, which mentions a John de Billingham.
In the 15th century, the surname appeared as "Byllingeham" in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the Paston family in Norfolk. This spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period.
A notable figure with the surname Billingham was Sir Robert Billingham, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1484. He was a prominent merchant and influential figure in the city's affairs during the reign of Richard III.
Another prominent individual was Thomas Billingham, a Puritan minister who lived from 1604 to 1682. He was known for his fiery sermons and was a vocal critic of religious persecution during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, John Billingham (1721-1806) was a renowned architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including the Foundling Hospital and the Royal Exchange.
The name Billingham has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Billingham in County Durham and Billingham near Stockton-on-Tees, both of which likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Billingham
Among Census respondents with the surname Billingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Billingham 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 Billingham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 425
- Black or African American2.2% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 8
- Two or more races0.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Billingham
Billingham 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
#50,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 413
-65 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 7,887 places
2020
#50,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 448
+35 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 123 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,677 | 478 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,564 | 413 | 0.14 | -65 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 7,887 places |
| 2020 | #50,441 | 448 | 0.15 | +35 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 123 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 Billingham 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 | #50,564 | #50,441 | 0.2% |
| Count | 413 | 448 | 8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.15 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Billingham bearers went from 413 to 448 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 123 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,564 to #50,441.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Billingham
FAQ
Billingham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Billingham?
Name Census estimates that about 514 living Americans carry the surname Billingham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 666,837 residents.
How common is Billingham?
Billingham ranks #50,441 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 448 people with the surname Billingham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (514), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Billingham.
Has Billingham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Billingham went from 413 recorded bearers to 448. That is an increase of 35 (+8.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #50,564 to #50,441.
What does the Census say about the background of Billingham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Billingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Billingham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (425 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Billingham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Black (2.2%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Billingham (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 Billingham mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Billingham in County Durham, England. 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 Billingham (0.15 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 Billingham?
You can see how many people are called Billingham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.