NameCensus.

UK surname

Bilan

A surname meaning "healthy" or "strong" in some Slavic languages.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Methil Methilhill, Derby and Broughton South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bilan is 102 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2013

102 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Bilan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bilan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bilan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bilan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1891 historical 11 #33,268
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 52 #32,444
1998 modern 44 #33,462
1999 modern 55 #32,561
2000 modern 57 #32,417
2001 modern 56 #32,379
2002 modern 58 #32,564
2003 modern 57 #32,704
2004 modern 56 #33,067
2005 modern 59 #33,008
2006 modern 66 #32,629
2007 modern 68 #32,760
2008 modern 66 #33,217
2009 modern 70 #33,182
2010 modern 80 #32,670
2011 modern 81 #32,558
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Bilans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Methil Methilhill, Derby, Broughton South and Orbiston. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Methil Methilhill Fife
2 Derby 022 Derby
3 Derby 027 Derby
4 Broughton South City of Edinburgh
5 Orbiston North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bilan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bilan surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bilan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bilan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Bilan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Bilan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Bilan is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bilan is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bilan falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bilan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Indian

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bilan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bilan

The surname Bilan has its origins in Croatia, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is derived from the Croatian word "bijel," which means "white" or "fair." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone with light hair or a fair complexion.

Bilan is thought to have emerged as a variant of the more common Croatian surname Bilic, which shares the same root word. In its earliest recorded instances, the name was sometimes spelled as Bylian, Byllian, or Billian, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One of the earliest known records of the name Bilan can be found in the archives of the city of Dubrovnik, where a merchant named Ivan Bilan is mentioned in a document from 1582. This suggests that the surname was already well-established in the coastal regions of Croatia by the late 16th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Bilan became more widespread throughout Croatia, particularly in the regions of Dalmatia and Istria. Notable individuals from this period include Marko Bilan (1638-1712), a renowned painter from the city of Split, and Nikola Bilan (1765-1833), a prominent writer and philosopher from Dubrovnik.

As Croatian emigration to other parts of Europe and the Americas increased in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the surname Bilan began to appear in various countries and regions. For example, Josip Bilan (1886-1964), a Croatian-American sculptor, was born in Croatia but later immigrated to the United States, where he gained recognition for his public works of art.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bilan include Ante Bilan (1912-1992), a Croatian playwright and screenwriter, and Zvonimir Bilan (born 1956), a Croatian football player and manager who represented Yugoslavia at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

While the surname Bilan is most commonly associated with Croatia, it has also been recorded in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the Croatian coastal regions, where it emerged as a descriptive nickname related to physical appearance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Bilan surname: questions and answers

How common is the Bilan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Bilan a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Bilan surname mean?

A surname meaning "healthy" or "strong" in some Slavic languages.

What does the Bilan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bilan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.