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

Bills, 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 Bills surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bills in America

Bills is the 3552nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bills surname appeared 10,051 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bills.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bills 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 Bills

The surname Bills has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "bil" which referred to a hill or ridge. This suggests that the name may have originated from someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest known bearers being Roger atte Bille, listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk in 1273. The "atte" prefix indicates a locational name, further supporting the connection to a place name.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Bille, Bylle, and Byll, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling during that time. One notable bearer from this period was John Bille, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1349 for his involvement in the wool trade.

By the 15th century, the surname had evolved into its modern spelling of Bills. One of the earliest recorded instances of this spelling was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524, where a Thomas Bills was listed.

Over the centuries, the Bills surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir John Bills, a 16th-century English merchant and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1591-1592.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Thomas Bills, a 17th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College from 1655 to 1677.

In the 18th century, John Bills was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings, including St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire.

The 19th century saw the birth of Ebenezer Bills, an American pioneer and early settler in Oregon. He played a significant role in the development of the Oregon Trail and helped establish the city of Milwaukie.

Finally, in the 20th century, one of the most famous bearers of the Bills surname was Kurt Bills, an American politician and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bills

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

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

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

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