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

Billups, 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 Billups surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Billups in America

Billups is the 5375th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Billups surname appeared 6,475 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Billups.

We can also compare 2010 data for Billups 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 Billups

The surname Billups has its origins in England, with records indicating it first appeared in the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bil" meaning "dweller near a hill or ridge" and "hop" meaning "small valley or hollow". This suggests the name originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived in a valley near a hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Richard Billop is mentioned as residing in Oxfordshire. Another early record is from 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, listing a Thomas de Bylhop.

The Billups surname appears to have been initially concentrated in the west midlands region of England, particularly in counties such as Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire. Over time, variations in spelling emerged, including Billop, Billup, Bilhope, and Bilhope.

In the 16th century, the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a John Billups was christened in 1587. Around the same time, a Thomas Billups was recorded as living in the village of Chaddesley Corbett in Worcestershire.

One notable historical figure with the Billups surname was Sir John Billups, a Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in the late 17th century. He was born in 1643 and died in 1706.

Another prominent individual was William Billups, an English clergyman and author who lived from 1638 to 1696. He was a vicar in Berkshire and published several religious works.

In the 18th century, a John Billups (1715-1786) was a successful merchant and landowner in Bristol, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local charities and education.

The name also appears in colonial American records, with a Thomas Billups being among the early settlers in Virginia in the late 17th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various states, including Maryland and North Carolina.

One of the most famous individuals with the Billups surname was Chauncey Billups, an American professional basketball player who was born in 1976 and enjoyed a successful career in the NBA, playing for several teams including the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Billups

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

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

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

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