The Billington surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,678 people carried this name — #8,904 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 80,000 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (3,671).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Billington surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Billington» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘of Billington’ — the first of the origins he gives.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 102 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Billington was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Lancashire: 15 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 667. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Lancashire 15
Cheshire 14
Staffordshire 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Billington in American newspapers,
1904–1925.

Newspaper page from The Sisseton Weekly Standard carrying the name Billington
The Sisseton Weekly Standard 1915-10-01
Newspaper page from San Antonio Light carrying the name Billington
San Antonio Light 1925-08-23
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Billington
Evening Star 1904-09-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,281 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Billington in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

5,638 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Billington. The most, 1,224, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,581
New South Wales 1,596
Victoria 787
Western Australia 268
South Australia 236
Tasmania 138
ACT (Canberra) 27
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Billington.

Who carried it

People named Billington,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Elizabeth Billington
    Elizabeth Billington 1765–1818 · composer
  • Elizabeth Billington
    Elizabeth Billington 1765–1818 · composer
  • Elizabeth Billington
    Elizabeth Billington 1765–1818 · composer
  • Elizabeth Billington
    Elizabeth Billington 1765–1818 · composer
  • William Charles Billington d. 1907 · photographer
  • Horace W. Billington d. 1812 · painter

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Billington,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States492 records

492 records of the Billington name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 122
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 112
  • Other U.S. records 258
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John T. Billington

    Born 1925 in Rhode Island. Enlisted 1943 at Providence; textile mill worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1982, buried at Rhode Island Veteran Memorial Cemetery, Exeter, Rhode Island.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Susan Billington

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Wisconsin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 33; matron. From London, England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Floyd L. Billington

    U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War. Born 1939, died 1992; buried at San Francisco National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 492 records for Billington in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia204 records

204 records of the Billington name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 91
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 41
  • Other Australian records 72
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Jane Billington

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Woodbridge, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Lambeth, Surrey. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Billington

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Mount Stuart Elphinstone, aged 20; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles H. Billington

    Farmer of Moorooduc, Victoria; died 1916.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 204 records for Billington in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Norway67 records

67 records of the Billington name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Randi Billington

    Census of 1910: Raadhusgaten, Fredrikstad; maidservant, born 1889 in Fredrikstad.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Rolf Billington

    Census of 1910: Grotten, Aker; agent, born 1867 in Fredrikshald.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Elise Billington

    Census of 1910: Karl Johansgate, Fredrikshald; of independent means, born 1846 in Larvik.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 67 records for Billington in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Canada39 records

39 records of the Billington name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 10
  • Other Canadian records 16
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Billington

    Buried in 1973 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 84.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Bessie Melissa Billington

    Died 1963 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Billington

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 39 records for Billington in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom21 records

21 records of the Billington name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 17
  • Welsh wills index cards 3
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Billington

    Died 1969, aged 49; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Arthur Billington

    Will proved in 1933; of Rhyl, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Billington

    Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 21 records for Billington in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Billington name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Fredrick Ernest Billington

    Died 1997, aged 77; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Billington name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Vincent Billington

    In the population register of Blackburn (Gb); student, born 1904 in Blackburn (Gb).

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Billington.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Billington is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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