Show ContentsBellar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Bellar comes from when its first bearer worked as a bell-founder or a bellringer. The surname Bellar is derived from the Old English word belle, which means bell.

Early Origins of the Bellar family

The surname Bellar was first found in Cambridgeshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. The parish of Kirby Bellars in Leicestershire takes its name from the foundation of a college there in 1359 during the reign of Edward II. 1

One of the first records of the family was Roger de Beler (d. 1326), an English judge, who was son of William Beler, and grandson of Roger Beler, Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1256. "That the family was settled in Leicestershire we know from a license obtained by the judge in 1316 to grant a lay fee in Kirkby-by-Melton, on the Wrethek in that county, to the warden and chaplains of St. Peter, on condition of their performing religious services for the benefit of the souls of himself and his wife Alicia, his father and mother, and ancestry generally." 2

Early History of the Bellar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bellar research. Another 228 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1275, 1500, 1654, 1666, 1687, 1725, 1726, 1727 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Bellar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bellar Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bellar include Beller, Bellere, Bellier, Biller, Billere, Billier, Billers and many more.

Early Notables of the Bellar family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Fettiplace Bellers (1687-1750?), English dramatist and philosophical writer, son of John Bellers (1654-1725) and Frances Bellers, was born in the parish of St. Andrew's, Holborn, London, 23 Sept. 1687. His father was a philanthropist, born about 1654 and was a member of the Society of Friends. "When about thirty years old he married Frances...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bellar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bellar family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bellar or a variant listed above: Martin Biller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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