NameCensus.

UK surname

Billam

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Billam surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 318, ranked #14,159, up from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Bassetlaw and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Billam is 333 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 135.6%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

318

2016, ranked #14,159

Peak year

1999

333 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Billam had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 318 in 2016, ranked #14,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 290 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Billam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Billam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Billam 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 193 #15,335
1901 historical 250 #13,136
1911 historical 290 #11,716
1997 modern 329 #12,734
1998 modern 325 #13,166
1999 modern 333 #13,049
2000 modern 316 #13,460
2001 modern 322 #13,098
2002 modern 313 #13,615
2003 modern 306 #13,641
2004 modern 302 #13,833
2005 modern 288 #14,189
2006 modern 301 #13,886
2007 modern 301 #14,022
2008 modern 307 #13,907
2009 modern 311 #14,069
2010 modern 318 #14,136
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 303 #14,415
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 323 #14,081
2015 modern 323 #13,991
2016 modern 318 #14,159

Geography

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Where Billams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, London parishes, Gateshead, Eckington and Harthill with Woodall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Derbyshire Dales and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Darlington Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Eckington Derbyshire
5 Harthill with Woodall Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
2 Bassetlaw 016 Bassetlaw
3 Bassetlaw 014 Bassetlaw
4 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 032 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Billam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Billam

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Billam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Billam household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Billam is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Billam is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Billam falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Billam 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 Billam, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Billam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Billam 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. Yorkshire leads with 71 Billams recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.44x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 71 5.44x
Durham 25 6.38x
Derbyshire 14 6.79x
Lancashire 11 0.70x
Middlesex 7 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.13x
Hertfordshire 1 1.10x
Leicestershire 1 0.69x
Lincolnshire 1 0.48x
Northumberland 1 0.51x
Staffordshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 22 Billams recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.96x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 22 52.96x
Darlington 9 59.52x
Eckington 9 179.64x
Harthill Cum Woodall 8 1600.00x
Monkwearmouth 8 213.33x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 57.61x
Handsworth 7 202.90x
Manchester 7 9.96x
Aston Cum Aughton 6 560.75x
Beeford 6 1875.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 35.36x
Westminster St John 6 37.43x
Upper Hallam 5 442.48x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 15.07x
Dronfield 3 113.64x
Nether Hallam 3 17.00x
Salford 3 6.53x
Bishopwearmouth 2 5.95x
Clayworth 2 1000.00x
Whitwell 2 243.90x
Bagmore Burton By 1 714.29x
Ecclesfield 1 10.45x
High Low South Brinkburn 1 1111.11x
Hipperholme Cum 1 17.45x
Leicester St Margaret 1 2.81x
North South Anston 1 175.44x
Pendleton In Salford 1 5.37x
St George Hanover Square 1 4.31x
Watford 1 14.20x
Wolverhampton 1 2.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 8
Lucy 5
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Maria 4
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Elizth. 3
Ellen 3
Annie 2
Emma 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Eliza 1
Faith 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Hetty 1
Lydia 1
Maggie 1
Martha 1
Mira 1
Phoebe 1
Selina 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 8
Joseph 7
Thomas 7
George 5
Henry 4
James 3
Anthany 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Arnold 1
Daniel 1
Eduth 1
Ernest 1
France 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Mary 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Whimbrook 1
Whinbrook 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Billam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Billam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Billam surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Billam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 318 in 2016. That gives Billam a modern rank of #14,159.

What does the Billam map show?

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