Find out how popular the last name Black is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Black.

Black, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Black surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Black in America

Black is the 174th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Black surname appeared 154,738 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 52 people would have the surname Black.

We can also compare 2010 data for Black to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Black

The surname Black is an English surname that originated as a nickname derived from the Old English word 'blæc', meaning black or dark colored. It was typically given to individuals with dark hair or complexion, or perhaps someone who worked in a trade that involved soot or coal, such as a blacksmith or chimney sweep.

The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, with records showing it in use as early as the 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard le Blake, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1176.

In the famous Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several references to individuals with the surname Black or variations of it, such as Blacc, Blac, and Blake. These entries indicate that the name was already well-established in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.

Over the centuries, the Black surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Blacke, Blak, and Blacque, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistencies in written records during earlier periods. Some of these variations may have also been influenced by place names, such as Black Bourton in Oxfordshire or Black Notley in Essex.

Notable individuals with the surname Black throughout history include:

1. Joseph Black (1728-1799), a Scottish chemist and physicist who is best known for his discoveries of latent heat and carbon dioxide.
2. Jeremiah Black (1810-1883), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 25th United States Secretary of State under President James Buchanan.
3. Hugo Black (1886-1971), an American politician and jurist who served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama and later as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
4. Clementine Black (1853-1922), an English novelist and journalist who wrote under the pen name "Clementine Black".
5. William Black (1841-1898), a Scottish novelist and journalist who was particularly known for his novels set in the Scottish Highlands.

The Black surname has a long and rich history, spanning centuries and reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of its bearers across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Black

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Black.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Black was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Black has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Black was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Black, please contact us.

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