(Extract 3 from 'Mozart had the Blues')   Genealogy -3-

The quality of the information available on the internet is not guaranteed. For example, it cannot be said with any certainty that the musicians on the internet, called Billmann, are related to one another (1). And it would be too expensive to carry out a genealogical investigation into this. For me personally and in the paternal line (Billmann), it results in the following. In the Nuremberg-Fuerth region, the name Billmann appears first in the 16th century (Andreas Billmann, 1587-?, Reuth/Forchheim, north of Nuremberg-Fuerth) and is concentrated there around Siedelbach/Markt Erlbach (west of Nuremberg-Fuerth, Johann/Hans Billmann, 1612-93, the name Billmann occurs over the approx. period 1610-1950), Gunzendorf/Emskirchen (north of Siedelbach/Market Erlbach, the name Billmann occurs over the approx. period  1740-1830) and Hellmitzheim (north west of Nuremberg-Fuerth, the name Billmann occurs over the approx. period 1790-1880). The Billmanns of Hellmitzheim were certainly related to me, both in the family and the musical sense (2). Before that, until about 1800, maybe three Wolfgang Billmanns lived in the Nuremberg-Fuerth region. It is not certain, that they were related with me. The frequency of the first name can be explained by the fact, that only a few first names were familiar at the time (Johann = John, Georg = George, Andreas = Andrew, Leonhard, Wolfgang, ...). Regardless of this, the name Billmann previously existed in the region of Switzerland, Alsace, Rhineland-Palatinate (... Elizabeth Billmann, 1700 ? ...), which may have been derived from Switzerland and the name Buehlman/Biehlmann found there, while in the Nuremberg-Fuerth region (Franken/Bavaria) Billmann possibly came from Puhilmann and maybe Poehlmann. Whether the name Billmann developed by migration to the other main regions (Mannheim-Heidelberg, Aachen-Recklinghausen) or in each region independently from one another, such as social or professional tasks, is unclear. So Billman (with one 'n') could have evolved by immigration and adaptation to the English spelling - frequently in the U.S. -, but also as a socio-professional designation, possibly transferred from the English military.

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(1)
Musicians on internet, called Billmann:
- ...
(2)
The Billmanns of Hellmitzheim:
- ...

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