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

Blackwater, 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 Blackwater surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blackwater in America

Blackwater is the 48256th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blackwater surname appeared 438 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 Blackwater.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blackwater 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 Blackwater

The surname Blackwater is of English origin, derived from a place name that likely referred to a dark or peaty stream or river. It first emerged as a surname in the 12th century and was concentrated primarily in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk in eastern England.

Many early records of the name can be found in medieval tax rolls and parish registers, with spelling variations like Blakwatere, Blakwater, and Blacquater appearing in documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name is absent from the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting it arose later as a locational surname for people who lived near a Blackwater.

In 1273, a Richard de Blakwatere is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, one of the earliest known instances of the surname. A John Blacquater is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, while a Walter Blakwater appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1391.

Notable Blackwaters from history include Sir John Blackwater (c.1515-1586), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Colchester in the 16th century. William Blackwater (1595-1675) was an English clergyman and author, known for his religious writings. Edward Blackwater (1650-1718) was a prominent merchant and shipowner based in Bristol.

Later figures include the British naval officer Sir Henry Blackwater (1768-1832), who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and the 19th-century American politician and lawyer James Blackwater (1819-1891), who served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia.

As the name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, variations like Blackwatter and Blackwaters emerged, reflecting local dialects and spelling conventions. The name also made its way to British colonies, carried by settlers and immigrants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blackwater

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

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

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

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