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

Blake, 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 Blake surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blake in America

Blake is the 447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blake surname appeared 73,797 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 25 people would have the surname Blake.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blake 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 Blake

The surname Blake has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in England and Ireland. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "blæc," meaning "black" or "dark-complexioned." This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname given to someone with dark features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Blake can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Blac" and "Blache." This comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror provides evidence of the name's existence in the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was prevalent in various regions of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Devon. It is believed that the Blake family had a stronghold in the village of Calne, Wiltshire, where they held significant land and influence.

The name Blake has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Humphrey Blake (c. 1480-1545), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Gloucester during the reign of Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, Robert Blake (1598-1657) was a prominent English admiral who played a crucial role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the establishment of England as a naval power. He is widely regarded as one of the most important military commanders in English history.

Another notable figure was William Blake (1757-1827), the renowned English poet, painter, and printmaker. His works, including Songs of Innocence and Experience and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, have had a profound influence on literature and art.

The name Blake has also been associated with places, such as Blake's Cottage in Somerset, which was the birthplace of the poet Robert Blake, and Blake's Hill in Gloucestershire, which may have been named after a local landowner.

Other notable individuals with the surname Blake include Joaquin Blake (1759-1827), a Spanish naval officer and explorer who conducted extensive surveys of the Pacific Northwest coast, and Thomas Blake Glover (1838-1911), a British merchant and diplomat who played a significant role in the industrialization of Japan during the Meiji era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blake

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

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

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

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