Bellier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Bellier is a name that was formed by the Anglo-Saxon society of old Britain. The name was thought to have been used for someone who once worked as a bell-founder or a bellringer. The surname Bellier is derived from the Old English word belle, which means bell.

Early Origins of the Bellier family

The surname Bellier was first found in Cambridgeshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. The parish of Kirby Bellars in Leicestershire takes its name from the foundation of a college there in 1359 during the reign of Edward II. 1

One of the first records of the family was Roger de Beler (d. 1326), an English judge, who was son of William Beler, and grandson of Roger Beler, Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1256. "That the family was settled in Leicestershire we know from a license obtained by the judge in 1316 to grant a lay fee in Kirkby-by-Melton, on the Wrethek in that county, to the warden and chaplains of St. Peter, on condition of their performing religious services for the benefit of the souls of himself and his wife Alicia, his father and mother, and ancestry generally." 2

Early History of the Bellier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bellier research. Another 228 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1275, 1500, 1654, 1666, 1687, 1725, 1726, 1727 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Bellier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bellier Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Bellier include Beller, Bellere, Bellier, Biller, Billere, Billier, Billers and many more.

Early Notables of the Bellier family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Fettiplace Bellers (1687-1750?), English dramatist and philosophical writer, son of John Bellers (1654-1725) and Frances Bellers, was born in the parish of St. Andrew's, Holborn, London, 23 Sept. 1687. His father was a philanthropist, born about 1654 and was a member of the Society of Friends. "When about thirty years old he married Frances...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bellier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bellier Ranking

In France, the name Bellier is the 1,378^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,154 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Bellier family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Bellier were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Martin Biller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732.

Citations +

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
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/