| ![Show Contents]() Billy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The lineage of the name Billy begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Surrey. As a local name, it was derived from the local 'at the hill-garth' or 'hill-yard.' 1 "Hildyard, formerly Hildheard, [was] an ancient personal name. The family are said to have sprung from Robert Hildheard, of Normanby, Yorkshire, in the year 1109." 2 Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old German Hildigard, Hildiardis (f) ‘war stronghold’ 3 And finally, the name could also have been an occupational name for a hellier who was a roofer, tiler, or thatcher. 4 Early Origins of the Billy familyThe surname Billy was first found in Surrey where the name was first listed as a forename, Hildiard de Trule in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1206. Hyldeiard (with no forename) was registered in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1228 and Robert Hildyard, Hiliard was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for 1275 in Yorkshire. 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Robert de Hildgard, Yorkshire; Robert de Hildyard, Yorkshire; Robert Hiliard, Yorkshire; Robert Hildeyerd, Yorkshire. "These four entries represent, no doubt, the same individual." 1 Early History of the Billy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Billy research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1109, 1485, 1537, 1602, 1612, 1619, 1640, 1660, 1670, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1716, 1729, 1743, 1746, 1781 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Billy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Billy Spelling VariationsOnly 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 Billy has undergone many spelling variations, including Hilliard, Hildyard, Hillard, Hildheard and others. Early Notables of the Billy familyNotables of the family at this time include Sir Christopher Hildyard (d. 1602), whose tomb is in Church of St. German in Winestead, as well as a Hildyard, Sheriff of Nottingham. Nicholas Hilliard (1537-1619), was an English miniature painter, court painter to Elizabeth and to James I. His son, Lawrence Hilliard (d. 1640), English miniature painter continued his father's work. 5Thomas Hildeyard (1690-1746), was a Jesuit, of a respectable Lincolnshire...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Billy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Billy RankingIn the United States, the name Billy is the 8,671st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Billy is ranked the 944th most popular surname with an estimated 5,545 people with that name. 7
 Billy migration to the United States | + |
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 Billy were among those contributors:
Billy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- William Billy, who landed in Virginia in 1658 8
- Susannah Billy, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 8
- Mr Billy, who arrived in Virginia in 1695 8
Billy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- I Billy, who landed in America in 1778 8
| Contemporary Notables of the name Billy (post 1700) | + |
- Frankie Billy Randall (1961-2020), nicknamed "The Surgeon", an American professional boxer who competed from 1983 to 2005
- Buford Billy Champion (1947-2017), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1969 to 1976
- Joe Billy McDade (b. 1937), United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- Billy Bob Thornton (b. 1955), American Academy Award winning, two-time Golden Globe Award winning, Daytime Emmy Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominated actor, filmmaker, and singer-songwriter
- Billy Arnison (1924-1996), South African footballer who played from 1945 to 1957
- Billy Ray Cyrus (b. 1961), American country music singer best known for his popular hit "Achy Breaky Heart", father of Miley Cyrus
- Billy Balmer (1875-1961), English footballer who played for Everton
- Billy Hahn (1953-2023), American basketball assistant coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers
- Billy Ray Adams (1938-2023), American college football player for the Ole Miss Rebels, first-team All-American as a senior in 1961
- Billy Joe "Red" McCombs (1927-2023), American businessman, founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group in San Antonio, Texas, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans with an estimated value of $1.6 billion
| Historic Events for the Billy family | + |
USS Arizona - Mr. Billy, (William) Bryon (Bowman) Baird, American Seaman First Class from Indiana, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 9
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Burke, John and Burke, Sir Bernard, C.B. LL.D Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. London: Harrison, 59, Pall Mall, 1865, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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Billy migration to the United States 
