Blackman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Blackman

An English surname referring to a person with a dark complexion or black hair, or an occupational name for a worker who dealt with black dyes or ink.

Blackman, 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 Blackman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blackman in America

Blackman is the 2535th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blackman surname appeared 14,278 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Blackman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blackman 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2535 2389 5.93%
Count 14,278 13,897 2.70%
Proportion per 100k 4.84 5.15 -6.21%

The history of the last name Blackman

The surname BLACKMAN is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words 'blæc' meaning black and 'mann' meaning man. This name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent landmark such as a dark moor or a blacksmith's forge.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname BLACKMAN can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists individuals by their place of residence. One such entry is for a William Blakeman residing in Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Blakeman, Blacman, and Blackman, suggesting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

During the 16th century, the surname BLACKMAN is mentioned in the parish records of several English counties, such as Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. Notable individuals bearing this name include John Blackman, a yeoman from Worcestershire, who was recorded in the Muster Rolls of 1542.

In the 17th century, the BLACKMAN surname gained prominence with the birth of Benjamin Blackman (1617-1675), an English Puritan minister and author. He served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War and later became the rector of Steeple Ashton in Wiltshire.

Another notable figure was George Blackman (1709-1770), an English actor and playwright who performed extensively in London theaters during the mid-18th century. His works included the popular comedy "The Provoked Husband" and several adaptations of French plays.

Moving into the 19th century, the BLACKMAN surname is associated with John Blackman (1783-1857), a British architect known for his work on the Blackman Street development in London's Southwark district. This area was named after him and became a hub for various businesses and residences.

The surname also crossed the Atlantic, with individuals such as Ephraim Blackman (1768-1840), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Massachusetts, and John Blackman (1822-1899), a prominent businessman and politician in New York City, who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Throughout its history, the BLACKMAN surname has been linked to various occupations, from clergymen and actors to architects and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blackman

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

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 Blackman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 57.56% 8,218
Non-Hispanic Black Only 35.58% 5,080
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.57% 81
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.81% 116
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.35% 336
Hispanic Origin 3.13% 447

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 Blackman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 57.56% 61.08% -5.93%
Black 35.58% 33.94% 4.72%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.57% 0.47% 19.23%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.81% 0.64% 23.45%
Two or More Races 2.35% 1.94% 19.11%
Hispanic 3.13% 1.94% 46.94%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Blackman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/blackman-surname-popularity/.

"Blackman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/blackman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Blackman last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/blackman-surname-popularity/.

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