2000
#29,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 765
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Billinger
A German surname indicating that the bearer may have originated from the town of Billingen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 861 Americans carry the last name Billinger. That puts it at #32,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 398,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Billinger surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Billinger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
861
1 in 398,089
Census rank
#32,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
751
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 751 bearers of the surname Billinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Billinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Billinger
The surname Billinger is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "bille," which means "battle" or "fight," combined with the suffix "-inger," which denotes a person or a group of people.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Billinger name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. In this document, a person named Henricus Billinger is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in that area during that time period.
Another notable historical reference to the Billinger name is found in the Annales Saxonici, a chronicle written by a monk named Albert von Stade in the 13th century. This chronicle mentions a nobleman named Gerhard Billinger, who was involved in a dispute with the Archbishop of Bremen in the year 1242.
The earliest known Billinger family is believed to have originated in the town of Billingerhausen, located in the modern-day state of Hesse, Germany. This town's name is a clear indication of the surname's connection to the region, as it likely derived from the family name itself.
One of the most notable figures in history bearing the Billinger surname was Johann Billinger, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1565 to 1628. He was a professor at the University of Marburg and was renowned for his contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.
Another prominent individual with the Billinger name was Christoph Billinger, a German painter who lived from 1558 to 1625. He was known for his religious paintings and was commissioned by several churches and nobility in the region.
In the 17th century, a family of Billingers was recorded as residing in the town of Quedlinburg, located in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This family included several members who held prominent positions within the local community, such as town officials and merchants.
A notable figure from the 18th century was Friedrich Billinger, a German composer and organist who lived from 1720 to 1795. He served as the court organist for the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg and composed numerous works for the organ and other instruments.
In the 19th century, a Billinger family settled in the town of Eisenach, located in the modern-day state of Thuringia, Germany. One member of this family, Wilhelm Billinger, born in 1832, was a respected educator and served as the headmaster of the local school for several years.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Billinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Billinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Billinger bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Billinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.7% · 441
- Black or African American30.5% · 229
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 48
- Two or more races3.3% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Billinger
Billinger appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#39,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 564
-201 bearers (-26.3%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 9,871 places
2020
#32,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 751
+187 bearers (+33.2%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,181 | 765 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,052 | 564 | 0.19 | -201 bearers (-26.3%) | Down 9,871 places |
| 2020 | #32,755 | 751 | 0.25 | +187 bearers (+33.2%) | Up 6,297 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Billinger surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #39,052 | #32,755 | 16.1% |
| Count | 564 | 751 | 33.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.25 | 32.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Billinger bearers went from 564 to 751 (+33.2% change). The surname moved up 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,052 to #32,755.
FAQ
Billinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Billinger?
Name Census estimates that about 861 living Americans carry the surname Billinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 398,089 residents.
How common is Billinger?
Billinger ranks #32,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 751 people with the surname Billinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Billinger.
Has Billinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Billinger went from 564 recorded bearers to 751. That is an increase of 187 (+33.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #39,052 to #32,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Billinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Billinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Hispanic (6.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Billinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.7% (441 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Billinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.7%), Black (30.5%), Hispanic (6.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Billinger (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Billinger mean?
A German surname indicating that the bearer may have originated from the town of Billingen. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Billinger (0.25 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Billinger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.