Bilnie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Bilnie name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the parish of Bilney in Norfolk. The name literally means the dweller by the stream.

Early Origins of the Bilnie family

The surname Bilnie 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 Bilnie family

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

Bilnie Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Bilnie has undergone many spelling variations, including Bilney, Bilnie, Bylyne, Bilneye, Bilnye, Bilnay and others.

Early Notables of the Bilnie family

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

Migration of the Bilnie family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bilnie were among those contributors: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.

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