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

Blakes, 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 Blakes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blakes in America

Blakes is the 21660th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blakes surname appeared 1,203 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 Blakes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blakes 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 Blakes

The surname Blakes has its origins in England and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "blaec," which means "pale" or "white." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as a nickname to someone with a pale or fair complexion.

The surname first appeared in historical records in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Robertus Blac in Derbyshire.

As the name spread across different regions of England, various spellings emerged, such as Blake, Blak, and Blakeman. These variations likely arose due to variations in local dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Blakes began to be associated with specific locations, leading to the formation of locational surnames like Blakeney and Blackmanstone. These place names often incorporated the word "black," which was a variant of the original "blaec."

One of the earliest recorded Blakes of historical significance was John Blake, a wealthy merchant and alderman of London, who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Robert Blake, a celebrated English admiral who played a crucial role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars during the 17th century (1598-1657).

In the literary world, William Blake, the renowned English poet, painter, and printmaker, is perhaps the most famous bearer of the surname. He lived from 1757 to 1827 and is best known for his works like "Songs of Innocence and Experience" and "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."

Other notable Blakes throughout history include Joaquin Blake, a Spanish military leader and politician during the Peninsular War (1759-1827), and Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish merchant and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the industrialization of Japan (1838-1911).

The surname Blakes has also been carried by several artists, such as the American painter Peter Blakes (1920-2001) and the English sculptor Peter Blake (born 1932), known for his contribution to the Pop Art movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blakes

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

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

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

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