| ![Show Contents]() Bilby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The surname Bilby traces it's origins as a habitational name from the village of Bilby, a hamlet in Nottinghamshire, now part of the civil parish of Barnby Moor. Today one must look to Australia for some of the more interesting facts about the surname Bilby. There, the name Bilby is an Australian species of nocturnal animal and the name is a native alternative to the Easter Bunny - the Easter Bilby. But Australia's origin is far different than the hamlet in Nottinghamshire. For there the name is borrowed from the Yuwaalaraay Aboriginal language of northern New South Wales, and means a "long-nosed rat." Early Origins of the Bilby familyThe surname Bilby was first found in Bilby, Nottinghamshire, a township, in the parish of Blyth. In the mid 1800s the hamlet had about 221 inhabitants and measured about 1,918 acres in size. 1 Bielby is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and as of 2011, it had a population of 211. The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Belebi 2 in the union of Pocklington, land held by the King in Yorkshire and was derived from the Old Scandinavian personal name + by as in "farmstead or village of a man called Beli" 3 And it is her in Yorkshire where we find the first records of the family. The Curia Regis Rolls of 1198 list Ralph de Bittebi. 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Robertus de Bilby; and Willelmus de Bilby as both holding lands there at that time. 5 Early History of the Bilby familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bilby research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1379, 1541, 1544, 1604, 1635 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Bilby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bilby Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bilby are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Bilby include: Bilby, Bilbie, Billby, Bylby, Bilsby, Bilbye and others. Early Notables of the Bilby familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - Willelmus de Bilby, a prominent 14th century landholder in Yorkshire
 Bilby migration to the United States | + |
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bilby or a variant listed above:
Bilby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- William Bilby, who landed in Virginia in 1650 6
Bilby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- William Bilby, who arrived in America in 1747
- Richard Bilby who arrived in America in 1773
Bilby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Christian Bilby, aged 33, who settled in America, in 1894
- Nellie Bilby, aged 0, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
- Paul Bilby, aged 8, who landed in America, in 1896
- Ruth Bilby, aged 5, who immigrated to America, in 1896
Bilby Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Horace Bilby, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1911
- Lucy Bilby, aged 22, who settled in America from London, England, in 1911
- Violet Esther Bilby, aged 18, who landed in America from London, England, in 1914
- David Bilby, aged 16, who landed in America, in 1921
| Bilby migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Bilby Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Sarah Bilby, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1778
| Contemporary Notables of the name Bilby (post 1700) | + |
- John S. Bilby (1832-1919), American founder of the Bilby Ranch, generally believed to be the second largest ranch in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Kenneth W. Bilby (1918-1997), American winner of the Legion of Honor, an executive vice president of RCA
- Richard Mansfield Bilby (1931-1998), United States district judge
- Bruce Bilby, English professor of theoretical metallurgy, University of Birmingham, England
- Grahame Paul Bilby (b. 1941), British former cricketer and footballer
- Mr. William Bilby, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1700 to 1701
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Bilby migration to the United States 
Bilby migration to Canada 
