NameCensus.

UK surname

Bilby

An Australian mammal of the bandicoot family, also a surname derived from a geographical location.

In the 1881 census there were 304 people recorded with the Bilby surname, ranking it #9,637 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 341, ranked #13,425, down from #9,637 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Melton and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, Coventry and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bilby is 368 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.2%.

1881 census count

304

Ranked #9,637

Modern count

341

2016, ranked #13,425

Peak year

2007

368 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bilby had 304 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,637 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016, ranked #13,425.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 335 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Bilby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bilby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bilby 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
1851 historical 187 #10,978
1861 historical 333 #7,646
1881 historical 304 #9,637
1891 historical 279 #11,698
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 335 #10,584
1997 modern 350 #12,172
1998 modern 363 #12,228
1999 modern 358 #12,416
2000 modern 351 #12,534
2001 modern 347 #12,449
2002 modern 351 #12,583
2003 modern 344 #12,577
2004 modern 355 #12,326
2005 modern 344 #12,521
2006 modern 358 #12,234
2007 modern 368 #12,125
2008 modern 359 #12,459
2009 modern 362 #12,637
2010 modern 364 #12,851
2011 modern 365 #12,694
2012 modern 346 #13,070
2013 modern 346 #13,291
2014 modern 334 #13,749
2015 modern 339 #13,493
2016 modern 341 #13,425

Geography

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Where Bilbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Melton, St John Hackney and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, Coventry, Leicester, Barnsley and Sheffield. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Melton Suffolk
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 011 South Kesteven
2 Coventry 025 Coventry
3 Leicester 012 Leicester
4 Barnsley 030 Barnsley
5 Sheffield 005 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bilby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bilby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bilby, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Bilby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bilby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bilby is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bilby is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bilby falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bilby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bilby

The surname Bilby originated in England, specifically in the county of Nottinghamshire. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "bil," meaning a curved sword or billhook, and the suffix "-by," which means a farmstead or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bilby can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1327, where a person named William de Bilby is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have been associated with a particular location or settlement known as Bilby.

The name appears in various historical documents throughout the centuries, including parish records, tax rolls, and court proceedings. In the Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1545, a person named John Bilby is listed as a taxpayer, indicating the surname's continued presence in the region.

One notable individual with the surname Bilby was John Bilby, a 17th-century clergyman and author born in Nottinghamshire in 1614. He published several religious works, including "The Mistery of Iniquity Unfolded" in 1662 and "The Perpetual Guide" in 1670.

Another prominent figure was Sir Charles Bilby, a British naval officer who lived from 1718 to 1793. He served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, achieving the rank of Admiral.

In the 19th century, Thomas Bilby (1793-1875) was a renowned English architect and civil engineer. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings, including the Old Bucks County Gaol in Aylesbury and the Bedfordshire County Asylum in Stotfold.

The surname Bilby has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Bilby Hill in Nottinghamshire and Bilby Farm in Lincolnshire. These locations may have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Bilby surname who once resided or held land in those areas.

It is worth noting that while the surname Bilby is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including clergymen, military officers, architects, and landowners.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bilby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bilby surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 71 Bilbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.46x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 71 2.46x
Buckinghamshire 30 17.19x
Norfolk 28 6.31x
Kent 19 1.93x
Nottinghamshire 18 4.63x
Yorkshire 18 0.63x
Surrey 17 1.21x
Somerset 16 3.44x
Hertfordshire 12 6.03x
Suffolk 11 3.13x
Roxburghshire 10 19.12x
Cheshire 8 1.26x
Lancashire 8 0.23x
Leicestershire 6 1.87x
Derbyshire 4 0.88x
Durham 3 0.35x
Essex 3 0.53x
Northamptonshire 3 1.10x
Warwickshire 3 0.41x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 4.78x
Sussex 2 0.41x
Channel Islands 1 1.17x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.51x
Westmorland 1 1.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheddington in Buckinghamshire leads with 28 Bilbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3783.78x.

Place Total Index
Cheddington 28 3783.78x
Islington London 13 4.65x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 12 1481.48x
St Pancras London 12 5.16x
Hackney London 10 6.18x
Hawick 10 85.47x
Sporle With Palgrave 9 1250.00x
Battersea 8 7.53x
Bedminster 8 18.32x
Hemel Hempstead 8 89.19x
Portishead 8 231.88x
Rawmarsh 8 79.13x
Chelsea London 7 8.05x
Lea By Backford 6 3000.00x
Pinxton 6 260.87x
Woolwich 6 16.49x
Greenwich 5 10.88x
Hindley 5 34.22x
Melton 5 362.32x
Poplar London 5 9.18x
Southwark Christchurch 5 36.95x
St Sepulchre London 5 118.20x
Banstead 4 104.99x
Cotgrave 4 493.83x
Erith 4 41.19x
Ipswich St Mary At Elms 4 357.14x
Redbourn 4 184.33x
Upper Langwith 4 2000.00x
Birmingham 3 1.24x
Brixworth 3 258.62x
Cawston 3 275.23x
Dewsbury 3 10.22x
Paddington London 3 2.83x
Sheffield 3 3.29x
Stoke Newington London 3 13.34x
West Bridgford 3 769.23x
Wymeswold 3 322.58x
Cropwell Bishop 2 317.46x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.63x
Diss 2 52.63x
Eastwood 2 57.47x
Hastings St Andrew 2 114.94x
Holy Trinity 2 2.91x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 16.76x
Irongray 2 256.41x
Leicester St Mary 2 7.73x
Mile End Old Town London 2 3.25x
Romford 2 22.20x
Runcorn 2 13.61x
Sprowston 2 102.04x
St Marylebone London 2 1.30x
Westoe 2 4.11x
Aldershot 1 5.05x
Aylesbury 1 12.94x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.80x
Churchstoke 1 80.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.72x
Everton 1 0.92x
Garston 1 9.89x
Great Missenden 1 46.51x
Gressingham 1 666.67x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.28x
Lenham 1 50.76x
Nether Hallam 1 2.58x
Norwood 1 15.15x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.99x
South Weald 1 20.49x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 8.00x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 24.45x
St Giles In Fields London 1 7.06x
St Helier 1 3.59x
St Martin In Fields 1 5.78x
Strickland Kettle 1 163.93x
Tudhoe 1 13.30x
Walmer 1 23.36x
Westminster St James 1 3.37x
Whitechapel London 1 3.51x
Willesden 1 3.67x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bilby surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 14
Sarah 11
Alice 6
Annie 5
Eliza 5
Hannah 5
Jane 5
Ada 4
Ann 4
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Ruth 3
Sophia 3
Agness 2
Anna 2
Caroline 2
Florence 2
Kate 2
Rosa 2
Selina 2
Amelia 1
Blanche 1
Effie 1
Emmerline 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Fransis 1
Georgeana 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Hester 1
Infant 1
Isabel 1
Julian 1
Lilla 1
Lilly 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
May 1
Rebbecca 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rose 1
Zephiel 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bilby surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 24
Henry 13
James 13
John 12
Charles 9
Edward 7
Thomas 6
Walter 6
Alfred 5
George 5
Robert 4
Wm. 4
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Fredrick 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Alexander 1
Allan 1
Chas. 1
Chas.C. 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horatio 1
Jarvis 1
Jno. 1
Johnathan 1
Johnathon 1
Ruben 1
W. 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Bilby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bilby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 304 people were recorded with the Bilby surname. That placed it at #9,637 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bilby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016. That gives Bilby a modern rank of #13,425.

What does the Bilby surname mean?

An Australian mammal of the bandicoot family, also a surname derived from a geographical location.

What does the Bilby map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bilby 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.