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

Billingslea, 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 Billingslea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Billingslea in America

Billingslea is the 26671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Billingslea surname appeared 913 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Billingslea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Billingslea 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 Billingslea

The surname Billingslea has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "billing," meaning a sword or blade, and "leah," which refers to a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a meadow or clearing where swords or blades were made or traded.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Billingslea can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Billinglege," referring to a settlement in the county of Somerset.

In the 13th century, the name was documented in various forms, such as "Billinglegh" and "Billyngley," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period. The earliest known person with the surname was Sir William de Billingslea, a knight who lived in the village of Billingslea, near Bath, during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307).

Another notable figure was John Billingslea, a merchant and landowner who lived in London during the 15th century. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the College of Arms, the official authority on heraldry in England. Thomas Billingslea, born in 1558, was granted a coat of arms in recognition of his service to the Crown.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Captain Richard Billingslea fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He is mentioned in the memoirs of several contemporaries for his bravery in battle.

In the 18th century, the name Billingslea was associated with the village of Billingslea in Derbyshire, where a wealthy family bearing the name owned vast estates and held significant influence in the local community.

Throughout history, the surname Billingslea has been concentrated in the counties of Somerset, Derbyshire, and Gloucestershire, although it has also been found in other parts of England and, later, in North America, where many English families settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Billingslea

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

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

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

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