NameCensus.

UK surname

Billinghurst

An English habitational surname indicating someone from Billinghurst, a place in Sussex.

In the 1881 census there were 371 people recorded with the Billinghurst surname, ranking it #8,417 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 394, ranked #12,012, down from #8,417 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Witley and Seal with Tongham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Gosport and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Billinghurst is 528 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.2%.

1881 census count

371

Ranked #8,417

Modern count

394

2016, ranked #12,012

Peak year

1911

528 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Billinghurst had 371 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,417 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 394 in 2016, ranked #12,012.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 528 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Billinghurst surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Billinghurst surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Billinghurst 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 241 #9,037
1861 historical 305 #8,321
1881 historical 371 #8,417
1891 historical 405 #8,789
1901 historical 482 #8,275
1911 historical 528 #7,519
1997 modern 401 #10,989
1998 modern 427 #10,825
1999 modern 431 #10,840
2000 modern 415 #11,109
2001 modern 406 #11,096
2002 modern 417 #11,104
2003 modern 404 #11,191
2004 modern 412 #11,029
2005 modern 404 #11,100
2006 modern 394 #11,383
2007 modern 392 #11,550
2008 modern 403 #11,398
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 412 #11,707
2011 modern 406 #11,730
2012 modern 402 #11,683
2013 modern 411 #11,669
2014 modern 408 #11,830
2015 modern 397 #11,973
2016 modern 394 #12,012

Geography

Back to top

Where Billinghursts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Witley, Seal with Tongham, Brighton and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Gosport, Chichester, Gwynedd and Islington. 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 3
2 Witley Surrey
3 Seal with Tongham Surrey
4 Brighton Sussex
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 012 Huntingdonshire
2 Gosport 005 Gosport
3 Chichester 008 Chichester
4 Gwynedd 006 Gwynedd
5 Islington 012 Islington

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Billinghurst

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Billinghurst

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Billinghurst surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Billinghurst 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Billinghurst is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Billinghurst 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

Billinghurst falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Billinghurst

The surname Billinghurst originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "billing," meaning a sword or blade, and "hyrst," meaning a wooded hill or grove. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a wooded hill where swords or blades were manufactured or sold.

The name Billinghurst is closely associated with the village of the same name in the county of Sussex, England. This village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population commissioned by William the Conqueror. The earliest known record of the surname Billinghurst comes from the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1230, where a person named Walter de Billinghurst is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, where a John Billinghurst is recorded in 1327. The surname also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, which were tax records listing landowners and their properties.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Billinghurst was Sir Henry Billinghurst, who lived in the 15th century and served as a member of Parliament for Sussex in 1449. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Billinghurst, who was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the 16th century, born in 1520 and died in 1587.

In the 17th century, a notable figure was John Billinghurst, who was a member of the Society of Friends (also known as Quakers) and was imprisoned for his religious beliefs in 1683. He was born in 1650 and died in 1714.

During the 18th century, the name Billinghurst continued to be associated with the county of Sussex. One notable individual was William Billinghurst, a renowned agriculturist and author of several books on farming practices, who was born in 1738 and died in 1824.

In the 19th century, the name gained some prominence with the birth of George Billinghurst, a British artist and engraver, who was born in 1814 and died in 1896. Another notable figure from this period was Charles Billinghurst, a prominent lawyer and judge in South Africa, who was born in 1853 and died in 1928.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Billinghurst families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Billinghurst 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. Surrey leads with 108 Billinghursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.12x.

County Total Index
Surrey 108 6.12x
Kent 75 6.07x
Sussex 54 8.85x
Middlesex 41 1.13x
Buckinghamshire 28 12.80x
Hertfordshire 12 4.81x
Hampshire 10 1.35x
Norfolk 8 1.44x
Berkshire 7 2.58x
Gloucestershire 6 0.85x
Yorkshire 6 0.17x
Durham 5 0.46x
Pembrokeshire 4 3.48x
Essex 3 0.42x
Glamorgan 2 0.32x
Devon 1 0.13x
Leicestershire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Croydon in Surrey leads with 24 Billinghursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.52x.

Place Total Index
Croydon 24 24.52x
Hambledon 13 695.19x
Camberwell 12 5.19x
Portslade 12 321.72x
Wooburn 12 397.35x
Woolwich 12 26.30x
West Malling 11 395.68x
Plumstead 10 24.30x
Seale 9 796.46x
St Marylebone London 9 4.66x
Lewisham 8 12.15x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 8 503.14x
Portsea 7 4.82x
St Katherine Creechurch 7 1129.03x
Barcombe 6 410.96x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 8.98x
Chipping Barnet 6 137.61x
Folkestone 6 25.05x
Iver 6 212.77x
Lindfield 6 232.56x
Slaugham 6 304.57x
Watford 6 31.02x
Wilsden 6 163.04x
Cobham 5 173.01x
Gillingham 5 19.64x
Kingston On Thames 5 11.80x
New Shoreham 5 136.61x
Rotherhithe 5 11.18x
Sherburn 5 152.44x
Westhampnett 5 769.23x
Westminster St James 5 13.44x
Wonersh 5 227.27x
Beckenham 4 24.78x
Caterham 4 51.35x
Charlton Next Woolwich 4 31.06x
Clapham 4 8.84x
Hedsor 4 2105.26x
Robeston Wathan 4 1000.00x
Walton On Thames 4 49.38x
Woking 4 37.63x
Bisham 3 344.83x
Brighton 3 2.44x
Hackney London 3 1.48x
Haslemere 3 215.83x
Hastings St Mary 3 19.75x
Haversham 3 1034.48x
Hoo 3 182.93x
Leatherhead 3 67.87x
Maidstone 3 8.16x
Reading St Giles 3 11.26x
Southampton St Mary 3 6.43x
West Ham 3 1.90x
Wycombe 3 18.39x
Battersea 2 1.50x
Bromley London 2 2.51x
Charlton 2 24.39x
Chertsey 2 17.56x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.10x
Hillingdon 2 17.33x
Hove 2 7.47x
Islington London 2 0.57x
Lavant Mid 2 400.00x
Llandaff 2 9.54x
Mereworth 2 202.02x
St Mary Le Strand London 2 151.52x
Whitechapel London 2 5.61x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.17x
Cookham 1 11.81x
Farnham 1 7.29x
Great Easton 1 149.25x
Guildford Holy Trinity 1 29.76x
Hastings St Leonards 1 11.15x
Keston 1 108.70x
Norwood 1 12.08x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.57x
Stoke 1 12.02x
Stoke Damerel 1 1.90x
Stone In Dartford 1 31.55x
Tottenham 1 1.73x
Uxbridge 1 24.15x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
Henry 22
George 18
James 17
John 17
Charles 9
Alfred 8
Edward 7
Thomas 6
Frederick 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Samuel 3
Ambrose 2
Arthur 2
Frank 2
Richard 2
A.W. 1
Alexandra 1
Anslow 1
Anthony 1
Archibald 1
Benjamin 1
E. 1
Edgar 1
Elizabeth 1
Ethelbert 1
Ferdinand 1
Fernley 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Francus 1
Frised 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Hazel 1
Isaac 1
Jack 1
Jesse 1
Luke 1
Nimrod 1
O.J. 1
Randolph 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Billinghurst surname: questions and answers

How common was the Billinghurst surname in 1881?

In 1881, 371 people were recorded with the Billinghurst surname. That placed it at #8,417 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Billinghurst surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 394 in 2016. That gives Billinghurst a modern rank of #12,012.

What does the Billinghurst surname mean?

An English habitational surname indicating someone from Billinghurst, a place in Sussex.

What does the Billinghurst map show?

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