History of your Surname
Get access to Bellingham family records.Start a free trial

Bellingham Family History

Bellingham Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places called Bellingham in Greater London (formerly in Kent) and Northumberland. The former is named with Old English Beringahām ‘homestead (Old English hām) of the followers of Be(o)ra’ a byname meaning ‘bear’; the latter seems to have been originally named as the ‘homestead of the dwellers at the bell’ from Old English belle used in a transferred sense of a bell-shaped hill.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Ellingham, Billingham, Allingham, Gillingham, Dillingham, Burlingham

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Bellingham family from?

You can see how Bellingham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bellingham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Bellingham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 335 Bellingham families living in Kent. This was about 24% of all the recorded Bellingham's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Bellingham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bellingham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Bellingham ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bellingham. 13% of Bellingham men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Bellingham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bellingham were Farmer and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Bellingham | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Gardener
    5%
  • Farmer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bellingham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Bellingham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bellingham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bellingham

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Bellingham. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bellingham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Bellingham. For the veterans among your Bellingham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bellingham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bellingham family history

Discover More

What is the average Bellingham lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Bellingham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Bellingham in 1956 was 49, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bellingham

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bellingham family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Bellingham last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial