Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Study: Billingham
Variants: Bellingham, Billinghame
Category: 3 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is well under way on a global basis.
Contact: Mr Gary Billingham
I started my Billingham one name study in 1987 and joined the Guild in 1998. I have since amassed files of information and drawn up over 100 different family trees. Although I now live in Australia, thanks to the internet and availability of electonic sources such as CDs I can easily access new information to add to my research.
I welcome any comments, questions and extra information to add to this research.
Thought to originated from the Billas tribe, and the old English word 'hame' meaning home, hence home of the Billas tribe. Some of the earliest records of the name are found in the north east of England in County Durham, around the town of Billingham. There is mention of a knight Sir Roger de Billingham in the 14/15th century in the County.
Other early concentrations are in an area around the town of Newent in Glous, and in various villages to the west of Northampton, eg Harpole, Flore, Kislingbury.
There have been around 9000 Billingham births, since 1837 in England and Wales, but very few in Scotland. Outside of the UK, the largest numbers can be found in the USA, particularly Florida, Australia , Canada & New Zealand.
I have taken DNA tests with both Ancestry and Find My Past , as well as the Y chromosome . Results so far have been disappointing, with no other Billingham matches to date (May 2020).