Bellington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Bellington

What does the name Bellington mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Bellington comes from when its first bearer worked as a person who lived at one of several settlements named Billington in the counties of Bedfordshire, Lancashire, or Staffordshire.

Early spellings of the place name include: Billendon, Bedfordshire in 1196 and Billingduna, Lancashire in the same year. 1 It is generally thought the place name meant "hill with a sharp ridge," from the Old English word "billing" + "dun" or "hill of a man called Billa." 1

Early Origins of the Bellington family

The surname Bellington was first found in Lancashire at Billington, a township and district chapelry, in the parish, union, and Lower division of the hundred, of Blackburn. 2

The town has been listed various spellings over the years: Billindon (1203); Billinton (1208); Bilingdon (1241) and later as Belyngton or Bilyngton. This area "is supposed to have been the scene of a battle that occurred between Wada, a Saxon duke, one of the murderers of Ethelred, and Ardulph, King of Northumbria, in the year 798, when the former was defeated." 2

While the surname was primarily found in Lancashire, we must look of Staffordshire to find the first record, specifically Robert de Billington who was listed there in the Assize Rolls of 1203. 3 William de Bilington was listed in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332 as was Adam de Billington. In nearby Yorkshire, Johannes de Billyngton was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Early History of the Bellington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bellington research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1580, 1595, 1630, 1663, 1696, 1737, 1768 and 1774 are included under the topic Early Bellington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bellington Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bellington include Billington, Billingston, Billingdon and others.

Early Notables of the Bellington family

Distinguished members of the family include John Billington (c.1580-1630), a signer of the Mayflower Compact; he was the first Englishman to be convicted of murder in the New World, and the first to be hanged for any crime in New England. Billington was also a signer of the Mayflower Compact.Mrs. Elizabeth Billington was the daughter of Carl Weichsel, a native of Freiberg in Saxony, and principal clarinet at the King's Theatre. Her mother was for several years a...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bellington Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bellington family to Ireland

Some of the Bellington family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bellington family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bellington or a variant listed above: John Billington who sailed on the " Mayflower" and arrived in Plymouth in 1620; with his wife Helen and two sons, Francis and John, and daughter, Ellen..

Sources +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)