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

Blackburn, 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 Blackburn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blackburn in America

Blackburn is the 889th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blackburn surname appeared 39,097 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Blackburn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blackburn 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 Blackburn

The surname Blackburn originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the town of Blackburn in Lancashire, which was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Blacheburne. The name itself is composed of the Old English words "blæc," meaning "black," and "burna," meaning "stream" or "brook."

Blackburn was a significant settlement in the Middle Ages, and its name appeared in various historical records. One notable example is the Whalley Coucher Book, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century, which mentions individuals with the surname Blackburn.

The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Blackburn was William de Blackburn, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1199. Another early instance is Robert de Blackburn, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.

Over the centuries, the surname Blackburn has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Thomas Blackburn (1701-1787), an English mathematician and clergyman who made significant contributions to the study of calculus and published several works on the subject.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Joseph Blackburn (1819-1879), an English railway engineer and inventor who developed various improvements to locomotive design and is credited with inventing the Blackburn's Eccentric Rudder for ships.

In the literary world, Hugh Blackburn (1835-1909) was a Scottish writer and journalist who authored several books, including "The Pardoner's Wallet" and "The Pupil of Aurelius."

The surname Blackburn also has ties to the world of sports. Noel Blackburn (1892-1981) was an English cricketer who played for Lancashire and England, and George Blackburn (1903-1981) was a Scottish professional golfer who won the British Open in 1938.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Blackburn was Graham Blackburn (1935-2015), a British cyclist and Olympic medalist. He won silver medals in the team pursuit event at the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games.

While the surname Blackburn is primarily associated with England and the United Kingdom, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and historical connections of English settlers and immigrants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blackburn

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

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

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

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