Family name origins & meanings
- French and English : from a reduced form of Robillet, itself a pet form of Robert.
- French and English : metonymic occupational name for a carpenter, from a diminutive of Old French bille ‘piece of wood’, ‘stick’ (a word of Gaulish origin).
- French and English : metonymic occupational name for a secretary, from a diminutive of Old French bulle ‘letter’. This sense of billet did not become established until the 15th century, however, rather late for surname formation.
- French and English : metonymic occupational name for a banker or money changer, from German Billet ‘note’, ‘banknote’.