2000
#2,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,300
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.19
Uncommon Last name
Blakely
Habitational surname derived from any of the numerous places named Blakeley or Blakely, meaning "dark wood" or "dark clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,909 Americans carry the last name Blakely. That puts it at #3,121 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,552 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blakely surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Blakely with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,552
Census rank
#3,121
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,257 bearers of the surname Blakely in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3121st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakely, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blakely
The surname Blakely is derived from an Old English locational name, referring to someone who hailed from a dark or shaded meadow. It originates from the combination of the Old English words 'blæc' meaning 'black' or 'dark' and 'leah' meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name is thought to have originated in England, likely in the medieval period.
The earliest recorded use of the name Blakely can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as 'Blacolei' or 'Blakelei'. This influential survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landholders and their properties across much of England and parts of Wales. The name's presence in this record indicates its early establishment in the region.
In the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms such as 'Blakelai', 'Blakeleye', and 'Blakeleia' in various records and charters from counties like Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire. These variations reflect the spelling fluidity of the time and the regional differences in pronunciation and documentation.
One notable early figure with this surname was John Blakely, born around 1320 in Derbyshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Another individual of note was Richard Blakely, born in 1415 in Cheshire, who was a skilled archer and fought in the Hundred Years' War under King Henry V.
During the 16th century, the name emerged in several place names, such as Blakeley in Lancashire and Blakely in Staffordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the surname, reflecting the influence and presence of Blakely families in those areas.
In the 17th century, Thomas Blakely, born in 1620 in Yorkshire, was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as a chaplain to King Charles II. Additionally, William Blakely, born in 1645 in Cheshire, was a successful merchant and banker whose family played a significant role in the local economy.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals bore the Blakely surname. These include John Blakely, born in 1760 in Derbyshire, who was a pioneering engineer and inventor, and Elizabeth Blakely, born in 1810 in Lancashire, who was a prominent activist in the women's suffrage movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blakely
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakely, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Blakely bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Blakely surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.9% · 6,743
- Black or African American30.3% · 3,407
- Two or more races4.7% · 533
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 431
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 63
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blakely
Blakely appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,669
+369 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 3.96
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#3,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,257
-412 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 3.77
Rank movement Down 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,924 | 11,300 | 4.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,077 | 11,669 | 3.96 | +369 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #3,121 | 11,257 | 3.77 | -412 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 44 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Blakely surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,077 | #3,121 | -1.4% |
| Count | 11,669 | 11,257 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.96 | 3.77 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blakely bearers went from 11,669 to 11,257 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,077 to #3,121.
FAQ
Blakely surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blakely?
Name Census estimates that about 12,909 living Americans carry the surname Blakely. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,552 residents.
How common is Blakely?
Blakely ranks #3,121 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,257 people with the surname Blakely. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,909), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Blakely.
Has Blakely become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blakely went from 11,669 recorded bearers to 11,257. That is a decrease of 412 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,077 to #3,121.
What does the Census say about the background of Blakely?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakely, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Blakely in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.9% (6,743 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blakely appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.9%), Black (30.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Blakely (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Blakely mean?
Habitational surname derived from any of the numerous places named Blakeley or Blakely, meaning "dark wood" or "dark clearing." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Blakely (3.77 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Blakely?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.