Blackie
A diminutive of names containing the element "black," referring to dark coloring.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Blackie. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Blackie today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Blackie births was 1923 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Blackie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Blackie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1923
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1923 SSA rank
#4,310
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Blackie: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Blackie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Blackie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Blackie
The name Blackie originated as a nickname or descriptive moniker in English-speaking regions, likely emerging in the Middle Ages or later. It was initially used to refer to individuals with dark hair, skin, or complexion, deriving from the Old English word "blæc," meaning black or dark-colored.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blackie can be found in the chronicles of medieval England, where it was sometimes used as a surname or byname for individuals with notable dark features. However, it was not until the 16th or 17th century that Blackie began to be used as a given name or familiar form of endearment.
In the late 18th century, the name Blackie gained some notoriety due to its association with a famous racehorse named Black and White, which was often referred to as "Blackie" by its owners and spectators. This equine connection likely contributed to the name's popularity, especially among horse enthusiasts and breeders.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, several notable individuals bore the name Blackie. One such figure was Blackie Whiteford (1828-1904), a Scottish-born American stage actor and comedian known for his performances in minstrel shows and vaudeville acts. Another was Blackie Towntrow (1877-1965), a British boxer who became the welterweight champion of England in 1902.
In the literary realm, Blackie was the nickname of the beloved dog featured in the classic children's novel "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford, published in 1961. The book's enduring popularity helped to further popularize the name among pet owners and animal lovers.
Notably, the name Blackie was also used by several historical figures as a diminutive or pet name. One example is John Black, an 18th-century Scottish journalist and satirist who was often referred to as "Blackie" by his contemporaries. Another is Alexander Black Groat (1842-1924), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who went by the nickname "Blackie" throughout his life.
While the name Blackie may have originated as a descriptive term, it has evolved over time to become a beloved and enduring moniker, imbued with a sense of warmth, familiarity, and affection, particularly in English-speaking cultures.
People
Blackie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Blackie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Blackie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Blackie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Blackie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Blackie a common name?
We classify Blackie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Blackie most popular?
The single biggest year for Blackie was 1923, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Blackie is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Blackie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Blackie a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Blackie in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Blackie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Blackie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Blackie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Blackie?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Blackie at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.