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

Blackbear, 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 Blackbear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blackbear in America

Blackbear is the 52482nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blackbear surname appeared 395 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Blackbear.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blackbear 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 Blackbear

The surname BLACKBEAR has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning black and "bera" meaning bear, likely referring to someone with a dark complexion or possibly a nickname related to a physical characteristic or occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BLACKBEAR can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1285, which mention a Richard Blackbear. A century later, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1380 listed a John Blackbear as a taxpayer.

In the 15th century, the BLACKBEAR name appeared in various medieval records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, which mentioned a Thomas Blackbear in 1435. The name also had variations in spelling, including Blakbere and Blakbeare, as seen in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire from 1486, which recorded a William Blakbere.

A notable figure bearing the BLACKBEAR surname was Sir John Blackbear, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London and served as an alderman for the city from 1580 to 1592.

During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, a Captain Henry Blackbear fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He was mentioned in several dispatches and accounts of the time for his bravery in battle.

In the 18th century, the BLACKBEAR name was found in various parish records and legal documents. One notable example was William Blackbear, a renowned clockmaker from London who was born in 1715 and died in 1793. His clocks and timepieces were highly sought after and can still be found in museums and private collections.

Another notable figure was Elizabeth Blackbear, a pioneering female writer and poet who was born in 1768 in Gloucestershire. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and the human condition, were widely published and acclaimed during her lifetime.

As the surname spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. In the 19th century, several BLACKBEAR families were recorded in various census records and immigration documents, indicating their presence in both the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blackbear

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

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 Blackbear 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 Blackbear 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 Blackbear was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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