NameCensus.

UK surname

Bills

An English surname derived from the medieval personal name Bill, a diminutive of William, meaning "resolute protector."

In the 1881 census there were 797 people recorded with the Bills surname, ranking it #4,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,204, ranked #4,939, down from #4,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Boston and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bills is 1,274 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.1%.

1881 census count

797

Ranked #4,670

Modern count

1,204

2016, ranked #4,939

Peak year

2000

1,274 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bills had 797 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,204 in 2016, ranked #4,939.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,092 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Bills surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bills surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bills 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 468 #5,304
1861 historical 660 #4,061
1881 historical 797 #4,670
1891 historical 904 #4,558
1901 historical 1,036 #4,616
1911 historical 1,092 #4,248
1997 modern 1,208 #4,683
1998 modern 1,263 #4,689
1999 modern 1,263 #4,716
2000 modern 1,274 #4,661
2001 modern 1,233 #4,697
2002 modern 1,256 #4,716
2003 modern 1,216 #4,754
2004 modern 1,218 #4,754
2005 modern 1,195 #4,769
2006 modern 1,191 #4,805
2007 modern 1,173 #4,906
2008 modern 1,167 #4,949
2009 modern 1,206 #4,923
2010 modern 1,215 #4,988
2011 modern 1,195 #5,000
2012 modern 1,212 #4,872
2013 modern 1,212 #4,943
2014 modern 1,222 #4,942
2015 modern 1,208 #4,944
2016 modern 1,204 #4,939

Geography

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Where Bills' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood, London parishes, Oldswinford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Boston, North West Leicestershire, Cheshire West and Chester and Dudley. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Oldswinford Worcestershire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 002 South Holland
2 Boston 007 Boston
3 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
4 Cheshire West and Chester 011 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Dudley 037 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bills

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bills

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bills, 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 Bills surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bills 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Bills is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Bills 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

Bills 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 Bills is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bills

The surname Bills has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "bil" which referred to a hill or ridge. This suggests that the name may have originated from someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest known bearers being Roger atte Bille, listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk in 1273. The "atte" prefix indicates a locational name, further supporting the connection to a place name.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Bille, Bylle, and Byll, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling during that time. One notable bearer from this period was John Bille, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1349 for his involvement in the wool trade.

By the 15th century, the surname had evolved into its modern spelling of Bills. One of the earliest recorded instances of this spelling was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524, where a Thomas Bills was listed.

Over the centuries, the Bills surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir John Bills, a 16th-century English merchant and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1591-1592.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Thomas Bills, a 17th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College from 1655 to 1677.

In the 18th century, John Bills was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings, including St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire.

The 19th century saw the birth of Ebenezer Bills, an American pioneer and early settler in Oregon. He played a significant role in the development of the Oregon Trail and helped establish the city of Milwaukie.

Finally, in the 20th century, one of the most famous bearers of the Bills surname was Kurt Bills, an American politician and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bills families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bills 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. Staffordshire leads with 136 Bills' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.17x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 136 5.17x
Kent 112 4.21x
Worcestershire 95 9.33x
Leicestershire 59 6.83x
Middlesex 55 0.71x
Lincolnshire 49 3.93x
Yorkshire 47 0.61x
Nottinghamshire 33 3.14x
Surrey 27 0.71x
Warwickshire 24 1.22x
Lancashire 19 0.21x
Dorset 17 3.32x
Shropshire 14 2.08x
Cheshire 13 0.76x
Lanarkshire 13 0.52x
Sussex 12 0.91x
Somerset 11 0.88x
Durham 10 0.43x
Cambridgeshire 9 1.82x
Derbyshire 9 0.74x
Essex 7 0.46x
Hampshire 6 0.38x
Glamorgan 5 0.37x
Herefordshire 4 1.25x
Isle of Man 2 1.38x
Monmouthshire 2 0.36x
Wiltshire 2 0.29x
Bedfordshire 1 0.25x
Cumberland 1 0.15x
Gloucestershire 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.19x
Northamptonshire 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 1.08x
Westmorland 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 27 Bills' recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.82x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 27 21.82x
Wolverhampton 20 9.89x
Wollescote 19 231.71x
Barlestone 18 952.38x
Egmanton 17 2698.41x
Mile End Old Town London 17 10.25x
Gradley 16 325.20x
Sedgley 13 13.30x
Wednesfield 13 33.57x
Charing 12 333.33x
Nether Hallam 12 11.48x
Leicester St Margaret 11 5.22x
Kneesall 10 1315.79x
Spittlegate 10 58.00x
Stourbridge 10 38.18x
Wednesbury 10 15.21x
Bethnal Green London 9 2.66x
Burton Upon Trent 9 14.62x
Cradley 9 97.83x
Dukinfield 9 11.32x
Kingswinford 9 9.42x
Kinson 9 90.00x
Leek Lowe 9 25.71x
Osbaston 9 1551.72x
Thornham 9 520.23x
Battersea 8 2.79x
Bridgnorth St Mary 8 121.77x
Camberwell 8 1.61x
South Rauceby 8 769.23x
Allhallows 7 833.33x
Ardingly 7 167.46x
Birmingham 7 1.07x
Deptford St Nicholas 7 33.18x
Gillingham 7 12.77x
Govan 7 1.12x
Holbeach 7 50.43x
Islington London 7 0.93x
Leicester All Sts 7 41.25x
Lye 7 41.32x
Rowley Regis 7 9.55x
Sheffield 7 2.85x
Tipton 7 8.69x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 8.34x
Bilston 6 11.77x
Chatham 6 8.20x
Dalziel 6 22.12x
Rawmarsh 6 21.99x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 2.15x
West Bromwich 6 3.98x
Ancaster 5 287.36x
Aston 5 0.92x
Bedminster 5 4.24x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 3.40x
Deptford St Paul 5 2.44x
East Farleigh 5 112.11x
Faversham 5 19.72x
Hulme 5 2.59x
Ibstock 5 79.62x
Limehouse London 5 5.84x
Molash 5 561.80x
Portsea 5 1.60x
Queenborough 5 190.11x
Shrewsbury St Chad 5 21.16x
Sittingbourne 5 23.81x
Tamworth 5 35.54x
Winterborne Kingston 5 362.32x
Bradfield 4 13.44x
Burntwood Edial 4 23.80x
Camerton 4 109.59x
Coventry St Michael 4 6.34x
Dunsby 4 677.97x
Hoyland Nether 4 21.12x
Llanrothall 4 800.00x
Milton In Milton 4 35.40x
Plumstead 4 4.51x
Preston Next Faversham 4 64.00x
St Giles In Fields London 4 10.46x
St Marylebone London 4 0.96x
Tydd St Giles 4 170.21x
Worcester St Peter 4 20.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 55
Sarah 36
Elizabeth 25
Emma 24
Annie 17
Eliza 17
Ann 15
Jane 15
Alice 10
Hannah 10
Martha 10
Maria 8
Ellen 7
Fanny 7
Louisa 7
Caroline 6
Harriet 6
Catherine 5
Elizth. 5
Matilda 5
Anne 4
Emily 4
Agnes 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Margaret 3
Phoebe 3
Rebecca 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Edith 2
Eva 2
Francis 2
Georgina 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Lillian 2
Lily 2
Lucy 2
Nancy 2
Ruth 2
Betsy 1
Carolina 1
Elizebeth 1
Elssie 1
Isabella 1
Janett 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 44
John 42
Thomas 37
George 35
Joseph 22
James 20
Robert 14
Henry 12
Alfred 8
Charles 8
Richard 8
Samuel 8
Frederick 7
Arthur 6
David 5
Edward 5
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Albert 4
Frank 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Jesse 4
Thos. 4
Walter 4
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Stephen 3
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Enock 2
Nebo 2
Oliver 2
Septimus 2
Andrew 1
Benjimin 1
Bernard 1
Caleb 1
Earnest 1
Enoch 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Hezekiah 1
Howard 1
Hy. 1
Jas. 1
Jhn. 1
Jonathon 1
Lewis 1
Wolsey 1

FAQ

Bills surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bills surname in 1881?

In 1881, 797 people were recorded with the Bills surname. That placed it at #4,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bills surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,204 in 2016. That gives Bills a modern rank of #4,939.

What does the Bills surname mean?

An English surname derived from the medieval personal name Bill, a diminutive of William, meaning "resolute protector."

What does the Bills map show?

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