Show ContentsBill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bill family

The surname Bill was first found in Austria, where the name could be considered to have made an early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Bill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bill research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1860 is included under the topic Early Bill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bill Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bils, Bills, Bilse, Bilsse, Bilss, Billss, Billse and many more.

Early Notables of the Bill family

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

Bill Ranking

In the United States, the name Bill is the 6,281st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Bill is ranked the 8,749th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 2


United States Bill migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bill Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jo Bill, aged 13, from Derbyshire, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Hopewell" 3
  • Marie Bill, aged 11, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter" 3
  • Walter Bill, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 3
  • John Bill, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1638 3
  • James Bill who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1638, and was made a freeman in that year
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Bill, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 3
  • Thomas Bill, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 3
  • E L Bill, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
  • J Bill, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
  • Samual Bill, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bill Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Oscar Bill, who landed in Wisconsin in 1921 3

Australia Bill migration to Australia +

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

Bill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Bill, (Blundell, Beale), (b. 1804), aged 30, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Mr. John Bill (John Hodson Bill), (b. 1815), aged 22, British Labourer born in Bilston, Staffordshire, who was convicted in York, England for life forhorse theft, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1887 5
  • Eliza Bill, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bussorah Merchant" in 1848 6
  • J. Bill, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1849 7

New Zealand Bill migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Bill, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 8

West Indies Bill migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 9
Bill Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Willen Bill, aged 28, who arrived in St Christopher in 1634 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Bill (post 1700) +

  • Alfred Hoyt Bill (1879-1964), American writer
  • Tony Bill (b. 1940), American director, actor, and screenwriter
  • Ingraham Ebenezer Bill (1805-1891), Canadian author, journalist, and minister from Billtown, Nova Scotia
  • Robert Bill (1754-1827), English mechanician and inventor who was descended from an old Staffordshire family, the Bills of Farley Hall 10
  • Charles Bill (1843-1915), British Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) Leek (1892 to 1906)
  • Max Bill (b. 1908), Swiss writer, architect, and politician
  • Robert L Bill, Associate Professor of Basic Medical Sciences, Director of Veterinary Technology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University
  • Curtis Bill Pepper (1917-2014), American journalist and author, Newsweek's Mediterranean bureau chief in Rome from 1957 to 1969
  • "Banjo" Bill Cornett (b. 1890), American traditional folk singer and banjo player
  • Bill Daily (1927-2018), American comedian and dramatic actor, known for his sitcom work as Major Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie, and Howard Borden on The Bob Newhart Show 11


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUSSORAH MERCHANT 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848BussorahMerchant.htm
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SIR CHARLES FORBES originally CHARLES FORBES 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirCharlesForbes.gif
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  10. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 20 Jun. 2019
  11. Bill Daily. (Retrieved 2011, January 21) Bill Daily. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Daily


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