2000
#2,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,460
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.25
Uncommon Last name
Billingsley
A locational surname derived from any of several places in England named Billingsley, meaning "clearing of Billa's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,455 Americans carry the last name Billingsley. That puts it at #3,244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,519 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Billingsley 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 Billingsley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,519
Census rank
#3,244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,861 bearers of the surname Billingsley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Billingsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Billingsley
The surname Billingsley is of English origin, originating from the village of Billingsley in Shropshire, England. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "billing", meaning a sword or battle-axe, and "leah", meaning a clearing or meadow.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Billingesleig". This record suggests that the name has been in existence since at least the 11th century in England.
In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Billingesleye, who was a landowner in Shropshire. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
During the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Byllingsley, Billingslee, and Billingsly, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that era.
One notable individual with this surname was Sir Henry Billingsley (c. 1516-1606), an English merchant and translator. He is best known for his translation of Euclid's "Elements of Geometry" from Greek into English in 1570.
Another prominent figure was John Billingsley (1749-1811), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics. He served as the headmaster of Birmingham Grammar School and later became a prebendary of Worcester Cathedral.
In the 19th century, George Billingsley (1827-1892) was a English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
Mary Billingsley (1858-1932) was a notable educator and philanthropist from Alabama, United States. She founded the Billingsley Memorial School in 1909, which provided education for underprivileged African American children.
More recently, Patrick Billingsley (1925-2011) was an American mathematician and statistician who made significant contributions to probability theory and stochastic processes.
The Billingsley name has been present in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, where the village of Billingsley and its variants were located. While the name has spread globally over time, its origins can be traced back to this specific region in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Billingsley
Among Census respondents with the surname Billingsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Billingsley 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 Billingsley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 7,203
- Black or African American25.3% · 2,749
- Two or more races4.5% · 484
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 328
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Billingsley
Billingsley 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
#2,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,973
+513 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 4.06
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#3,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,861
-1,112 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 3.63
Rank movement Down 249 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,876 | 11,460 | 4.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,995 | 11,973 | 4.06 | +513 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #3,244 | 10,861 | 3.63 | -1,112 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 249 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 Billingsley 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 | #2,995 | #3,244 | -8.3% |
| Count | 11,973 | 10,861 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.06 | 3.63 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Billingsley bearers went from 11,973 to 10,861 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 249 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,995 to #3,244.
FAQ
Billingsley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Billingsley?
Name Census estimates that about 12,455 living Americans carry the surname Billingsley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,519 residents.
How common is Billingsley?
Billingsley ranks #3,244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,861 people with the surname Billingsley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,455), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Billingsley.
Has Billingsley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Billingsley went from 11,973 recorded bearers to 10,861. That is a decrease of 1,112 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,995 to #3,244.
What does the Census say about the background of Billingsley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Billingsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Billingsley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (7,203 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Billingsley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Black (25.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Billingsley (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 Billingsley mean?
A locational surname derived from any of several places in England named Billingsley, meaning "clearing of Billa's people." 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 Billingsley (3.63 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 Americans have the surname Billingsley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.