Bilbe is a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

originating from Europe. Variations in spelling include: Bilbé, Beilby, Bielby, Bilbee, Bilbey, Bilbi or Bilby, all pronounced either Bill-Bay or Bill-Bee. The oldest record for the name is in the Will of George Bilbe Leather Seller of Saint Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, Surrey, dated 1667. One of the earliest records for the spelling variant Beilby is in the Chancery Court records, 1515–1518. In Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppy, Kent, John Beilby marries Elizabeth Light on 29 October 1769. His children, Joseph, Thomas and John change the spelling of their name to Bilbe and pass the spelling on to their children. Thomas Bilbe was born in Sheerness in 1811, and subsequently moved to

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of Dogs ...

On the 1841 UK Census there are 38 people with the surname Bilbe, 32 of whom were born in Kent. On the 1851 Census there are 30 people with the surname Bilbe, 15 of them are still living on the Isle of Sheppy, 8 are living in Canterbury and 4 live in the London area. The numbers expand rapidly after this date many living and working in London. There is a theory that the name originated in France and was brought to England by

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...

fleeing persecution. This is supported by the fact that the name seems to arrive on the east coast of England. There are two places in the UK where the name appears to cluster: The Isle of Sheppey in Kent and later at

Sculcoates Sculcoates is a suburb of Kingston upon Hull, north of the city centre, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. For many centuries, much of what was called Hull came within the parish of St Mary's Church. Sculcoates railway station closed ...

in Yorkshire. The variant Beilby seems to be centred on Kingston upon Hull during the 1700s.

Karl Pearson Karl Pearson (; born Carl Pearson; 27 March 1857 – 27 April 1936) was an English mathematician and biostatistician. He has been credited with establishing the discipline of mathematical statistics. He founded the world's first university st ...

's grandmother was a Bielby – this is believed to be linked with the village of

Bielby Bielby is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is situated about south of Pocklington. According to the 2011 UK census, Bielby parish had a population of 258, a decrease on the 2001 UK census fig ...

in East Yorkshire.

Notable people called Bilbe

* Thomas Bilbe (1803–1896) was born in Sheerness in 1803, and subsequently moved to

. He became a prominent

shipbuilder Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

. * Thomas Bilbe Robinson (1853–1939) was grandson of the above. He was as Agent-General for

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia.

References

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