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

Blackbird, 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 Blackbird surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blackbird in America

Blackbird is the 45105th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blackbird surname appeared 475 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 Blackbird.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blackbird 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 Blackbird

The surname "Blackbird" is of English origin, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning black and "brid" meaning bird. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was associated with the blackbird, either because they had a resemblance to the bird or perhaps lived in an area where blackbirds were abundant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Blackbird" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1190, where a person named "Ricardus Blakebrid" is mentioned. These rolls were records of financial transactions and accounts kept by the royal treasury in medieval England.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Blakebrid," "Blakebyrde," and "Blakebrid" in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. These variations in spelling were common during this period, as standardized spelling was not yet established.

The name "Blackbird" is also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled for the purpose of tax assessment. One entry mentions a "Willimus Blackbrid" from the county of Shropshire.

In the 14th century, the surname is recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a "Johannes Blakebrid" is listed. These rolls were tax records used for collecting subsidies or financial aid for the king.

One notable historical figure with the surname "Blackbird" was Robert Blackbird (c. 1545-1625), a English landowner and Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Wigan in Lancashire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual worth mentioning is John Blackbird (1675-1741), a renowned English clockmaker who worked in London and was known for his exceptional craftsmanship in creating high-quality timepieces.

In the 18th century, the surname appears in various parish records, such as the baptismal record of William Blackbird, born in 1724 in the parish of St. Michael's in Coventry, Warwickshire.

The 19th century saw the rise of Samuel Blackbird (1815-1892), an English industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Blackbird Manufacturing Company, which produced textile machinery and played a significant role in the industrial revolution.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the literary figure of Alice Blackbird (1879-1952), a celebrated English novelist and poet known for her vivid descriptions of rural life and her insightful portrayal of the human experience.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blackbird

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

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

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

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