Billingsley
A locational surname meaning “from Billingsley,” a place name in Shropshire.
The #2,995 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,787 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Billingsley comes from the name of the parish of Billingsley in Shropshire. The place-name is generally understood as an Old English formation, probably meaning the woodland clearing or meadow associated with Billing’s people or family. In surname use, it simply identified someone who had come from that place.
History
The name appears in English records by the 16th century, with spellings such as Billingslie and Billingsly. As with many locational surnames, it spread beyond its home parish as people moved away and were identified by their place of origin. The surname is now established in England and especially in English-speaking countries such as the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
William Billingsley was the name of a notable English porcelain painter and entrepreneur in the early 19th century.
From the historical record
“BILLINGS. A pluralization of Billing ? BILLINGSLEY. A parish in co. Salop. BILLINGTON. Chapelrles in cos. Bed- ford and Lancaster. BILLITER. Apparently a bell-founder. The Promptorium has hcllezeter (Halliw.), Avhich BIr. Way derives from the A- Sax. zeotere, fusor. ^'^ Zctynge of metelle, as bellys, fusio." The…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom