NameCensus.

UK surname

Billington

A habitational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "settlement of Billa's people."

In the 1881 census there were 3,259 people recorded with the Billington surname, ranking it #1,387 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,804, ranked #1,413, down from #1,387 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Preston and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Preston, Wyre and South Ribble.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Billington is 5,238 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.4%.

1881 census count

3,259

Ranked #1,387

Modern count

4,804

2016, ranked #1,413

Peak year

2002

5,238 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Billington had 3,259 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,387 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,804 in 2016, ranked #1,413.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,989 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Billington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Billington surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Billington 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 2,134 #1,364
1861 historical 2,358 #1,245
1881 historical 3,259 #1,387
1891 historical 3,725 #1,285
1901 historical 4,433 #1,283
1911 historical 4,989 #1,050
1997 modern 4,890 #1,338
1998 modern 5,129 #1,323
1999 modern 5,187 #1,319
2000 modern 5,158 #1,315
2001 modern 5,124 #1,292
2002 modern 5,238 #1,303
2003 modern 5,051 #1,309
2004 modern 5,006 #1,319
2005 modern 4,882 #1,331
2006 modern 4,829 #1,348
2007 modern 4,836 #1,366
2008 modern 4,840 #1,375
2009 modern 5,029 #1,356
2010 modern 5,095 #1,363
2011 modern 5,012 #1,366
2012 modern 4,827 #1,390
2013 modern 4,921 #1,390
2014 modern 4,940 #1,391
2015 modern 4,834 #1,406
2016 modern 4,804 #1,413

Geography

Back to top

Where Billingtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Preston, Blackburn, Birmingham Town: Aston and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Preston, Wyre and South Ribble. 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 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Preston 013 Preston
2 Preston 009 Preston
3 Preston 007 Preston
4 Wyre 007 Wyre
5 South Ribble 005 South Ribble

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Billington

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Billington

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Billington, 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 Billington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Billington 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Billington 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

Billington is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Billington 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 Billington 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 Billington, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Billington

The surname Billington is of English origin, derived from the place name Billington, a village in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century, with the earliest known spelling being "Billingeton" or "Bilinton."

The name Billington is thought to be derived from the Old English words "billing" or "billingr," which means "hill" or "ridge," and "tun," meaning "farm" or "enclosure." Thus, the name literally translates to "the farm or enclosure on the hill or ridge."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Billington can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire, a historical record dating back to 1176-1177. The name is also mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246, referring to a person named Richard de Billington.

In the 13th century, a family bearing the name Billington held lands in the township of Billington, near Whalley in Lancashire. This suggests that the surname may have originated from this particular location.

One notable historical figure with the surname Billington was John Billington, who was born around 1580. He was a passenger on the Mayflower and one of the earliest settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Billington is often referred to as the first person convicted of murder in the American colonies.

Another significant individual with the Billington surname was Thomas Billington, a 17th-century English composer and organist. He was born around 1625 and served as the organist at Westminster Abbey from 1665 until his death in 1684.

In the 18th century, William Billington, a British tenor singer, was born in 1746. He gained fame for his performances in operas and concerts across Europe.

The 19th century saw the birth of Elizabeth Billington, a renowned English operatic soprano, in 1768. She was highly celebrated for her performances in major opera houses throughout Europe and is considered one of the finest English sopranos of her time.

Lastly, Samuel Billington, a British artist and painter, was born in 1847. He is best known for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting scenes from the Lake District in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Billington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Billington 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. Lancashire leads with 1,376 Billingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,376 3.65x
Cheshire 493 7.04x
Bedfordshire 200 12.17x
Staffordshire 195 1.82x
Middlesex 171 0.54x
Yorkshire 153 0.49x
Warwickshire 116 1.45x
Leicestershire 104 2.96x
Northamptonshire 63 2.11x
Worcestershire 50 1.21x
Surrey 45 0.29x
Shropshire 23 0.84x
Essex 22 0.35x
Hertfordshire 22 1.01x
Kent 22 0.20x
Buckinghamshire 19 0.99x
Denbighshire 18 1.50x
Hampshire 18 0.28x
Oxfordshire 17 0.87x
Westmorland 15 2.15x
Herefordshire 14 1.08x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.33x
Berkshire 12 0.50x
Somerset 10 0.20x
Angus 9 0.31x
Devon 6 0.09x
Dorset 6 0.29x
Flintshire 5 0.59x
Glamorgan 5 0.09x
Sussex 5 0.09x
Durham 4 0.04x
Rutland 4 1.72x
Gloucestershire 3 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.41x
Royal Navy 3 0.79x
Derbyshire 2 0.04x
Anglesey 1 0.18x
Buteshire 1 0.52x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Merionethshire 1 0.17x
Northumberland 1 0.02x
Suffolk 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 283 Billingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.08x.

Place Total Index
Preston 283 28.08x
Nantwich 66 81.06x
Toxteth Park 62 4.86x
Aston 60 2.72x
Blackburn 58 5.79x
Walton Le Dale 56 55.33x
Audley 51 48.10x
Belgrave 51 64.21x
Ampthill 39 158.99x
Liverpool 39 1.70x
Monks Coppenhall 38 14.37x
Manchester 35 2.07x
Stoke Upon Trent 31 2.73x
Woodplumpton 30 222.88x
Runcorn 27 16.71x
Pilling 26 147.06x
Everton 25 2.08x
Kirkham 25 50.20x
Little Bolton 25 5.16x
Birkenhead 24 4.30x
Newchurch 24 7.79x
St Pancras London 23 0.90x
Pendleton In Salford 22 4.90x
Wolstanton 22 6.76x
Duston 21 77.49x
St Marylebone London 21 1.24x
Medlar With Wesham 20 176.99x
Myerscough 20 479.62x
Flitwick 19 213.48x
Little Budworth 19 323.68x
Birstall 18 338.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 2.84x
Congleton 17 14.04x
Eccleston In Prescot 17 8.99x
Great Crosby 17 16.55x
Leicester St Margaret 17 1.98x
Macclesfield 17 5.46x
Cranfield 16 101.27x
Eaton In Nantwich 16 316.83x
Farnworth 16 7.09x
Upholland 16 33.15x
Burslem 15 4.89x
Kendal 15 11.75x
North Meols 15 4.07x
Norton In Moors 15 26.45x
Oldbury 15 7.35x
Salford 15 1.35x
West Derby 15 1.36x
West Ham 15 1.08x
Witton 15 31.66x
Aspley Guise 14 89.00x
Audlem 14 84.75x
Birmingham 14 0.52x
Drayton In Hales 14 24.77x
Islington London 14 0.46x
Little Crosby 13 214.52x
Luton 13 4.57x
Delamere 12 190.48x
Dutton 12 244.40x
Fulwood 12 29.48x
Harborne 12 3.49x
Huddersfield 12 2.62x
Kings Norton 12 3.23x
Manningham 12 3.10x
Over 12 16.85x
Sundon 12 293.40x
Utkinton 12 212.39x
Ashow 11 567.01x
Barnsley 11 3.39x
Bootle Cum Linacre 11 3.68x
Edmonton 11 4.30x
Haighton 11 470.09x
Stretford 11 5.31x
Adlington 10 28.35x
Chester St Oswald 10 7.88x
Clifton Cum Salwick 10 220.26x
Clophill 10 82.99x
Dalton In Furness 10 6.88x
Hulme 10 1.27x
Oldham 10 0.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 237
Elizabeth 146
Sarah 116
Jane 92
Ann 83
Ellen 67
Margaret 63
Alice 60
Eliza 54
Emma 48
Annie 40
Martha 35
Emily 33
Hannah 27
Catherine 20
Harriet 20
Agnes 18
Louisa 17
Ada 14
Charlotte 14
Isabella 14
Edith 13
Fanny 13
Frances 13
Anne 12
Betsy 11
Florence 11
Lucy 11
Clara 10
Maria 10
Rachel 9
Amelia 8
Amy 8
Kate 8
Caroline 7
Eleanor 7
Harriett 7
Jessie 7
Minnie 7
Ethel 6
Gertrude 6
Lizzie 6
Elizth. 5
Lydia 5
Susan 5
Susannah 5
Florance 4
Helen 4
Margt. 4
Magaret 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 224
William 191
Thomas 159
James 111
George 106
Joseph 70
Edward 63
Henry 62
Charles 60
Robert 59
Richard 58
Arthur 30
Samuel 30
Alfred 25
Frederick 16
Harry 15
Edwin 14
Walter 13
Albert 12
Wm. 12
Ernest 11
Peter 11
Frank 10
Leonard 10
Thos. 10
Alexander 8
David 8
Anthony 7
Stephen 7
Herbert 6
Jesse 6
Josh. 6
Francis 5
Hugh 5
Abraham 4
Daniel 4
Fred 4
Fredk. 4
Horace 4
Martin 4
Oliver 4
Aaron 3
Benjamin 3
Christopher 3
Geo. 3
Jas. 3
Matthew 3
Ralph 3
Tom 3
Willm. 3

FAQ

Billington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Billington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,259 people were recorded with the Billington surname. That placed it at #1,387 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Billington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,804 in 2016. That gives Billington a modern rank of #1,413.

What does the Billington surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "settlement of Billa's people."

What does the Billington map show?

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