Bilbrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The surname Bilbrey 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 Bilbrey family

The surname Bilbrey 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 Bilbrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bilbrey 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 Bilbrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bilbrey 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 Bilbrey include Bilby, Bilbie, Billby, Bylby, Bilsby, Bilbye and others.

Early Notables of the Bilbrey family

More information is included under the topic Early Bilbrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bilbrey Ranking

In the United States, the name Bilbrey is the 8,508^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Bilbrey 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 Bilbrey or a variant listed above: William Bilby, who arrived in America in 1747 and Richard Bilby who arrived in America in 1773.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bilbrey (post 1700) +

James Melvin "Jim" Bilbrey (1924-1985), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Keith Bilbrey (b. 1952), American country music disc jockey and television host

Citations +

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/