Billeter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Billeter is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It was a name given to a person who was a bell-founder. It was originally derived for a person who was a maker of bells. 1

Early Origins of the Billeter family

The surname Billeter was first found in Oxfordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Billeter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Billeter research. Another 250 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1247, 1283, 1285, 1377 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Billeter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Billeter 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 Billeter include Billiter, Billeter, Belyotar, Bellegeter, Bellyetere and many more.

Early Notables of the Billeter family

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

Billeter migration to the United States +

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 Billeter were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Billeter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henri Billeter, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 2

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)