Billany History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Billany name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the parish of Bilney in Norfolk. The name literally means the dweller by the stream.

Early Origins of the Billany family

The surname Billany was first found in Norfolk at East Bilney, a parish, in the union of Mitford and Launditch, hundred of Launditch. The place name literally means "island near a ridge," or "island of a man called Bil(l)a," from the Old English word "bile," or the Old English personal name. 1 West Bilney dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Bilenei 2 and East Bilney dates back to 1254 when it was first listed a Billney. "Thomas Bilney (c. 1495-1531), a learned divine, who was burnt at Norwich, in the year 1531, for preaching against popery, is said to have been born here." 3

"He was a member of a Norfolk family which took its name from the villages of the same designation in that county. Local historians assert that he was born either at East Bilney or Norwich; but these statements seem to rest on probability rather than definite evidence. " 4

Early History of the Billany family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Billany research. Another 267 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1199, 1202, 1216, 1273, 1288, 1327, 1495, 1500, 1531 and 1627 are included under the topic Early Billany History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Billany Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Billany were recorded, including Bilney, Bilnie, Bylyne, Bilneye, Bilnye, Bilnay and others.

Early Notables of the Billany family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Billany Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Billany migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Billany family emigrate to North America:

Billany Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Hen Billany, who landed in Virginia in 1658 5

Billany migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Billany Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Billany, British convict who was convicted in York, England for life, transported aboard the "Henry Tanner" on 27th June 1834, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/henry-tanner