Show ContentsBillet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The noble surname Billet originated in the region of Maine, in France. Billet is a topographic surname, which is a type of hereditary surname. Topographic names were given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between individuals and their homelands, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, people who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original villages, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Billet family

The surname Billet was first found in Maine.

Early History of the Billet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Billet research. The years 1602, 1666, 1696, 1772, 1783, 1804, 1815, 1826, 1829 and 1830 are included under the topic Early Billet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Billet Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Billiard, Billiaud, Billiet, Billiez, Billard, Billaud, Billet, Billardon, Billault and many more.

Early Notables of the Billet family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Etienne Billet was a painter during the nineteenth century

Billet Ranking

In France, the name Billet is the 683rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,027 people with that name. [1]


United States Billet migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Billet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Katharine Billet, who landed in Virginia in 1700 [2]
  • Cath Billet, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 [2]
Billet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ernst Billet, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 [2]
Billet Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Wilhelm Billet, who arrived in Arkansas in 1901 [2]

Canada Billet migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Billet Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • François Billet was a cooper in Quebec in 1666
Billet Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Billet, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland

Australia Billet migration to Australia +

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

Billet Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Billet, (b. 1807), aged 26, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [3]

New Zealand Billet 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:

Billet Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Billet, American settler travelling from Honolulu aboard the ship "Wonga Wonga" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 13th September 1870 [4]
  • Mary Billet, aged 21, a housemaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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