2000
#76,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 233
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Blakeway
A locational surname derived from a residence near a dark or secluded road.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 259 Americans carry the last name Blakeway. That puts it at #88,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,323,376 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blakeway 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 Blakeway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
259
1 in 1,323,376
Census rank
#88,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
226
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 226 bearers of the surname Blakeway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 88273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakeway, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blakeway
The surname Blakeway is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from a place name referring to a dark or shady path or road. The name is composed of the Old English elements "blæc" meaning black or dark, and "weg" meaning way or road.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Blakewey". This suggests that the name may have originated in or near the county of Worcestershire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a place called "Blakewey" in Buckinghamshire, indicating the potential for the surname to have arisen from multiple locations across England.
The Blakeway surname is not found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting that it emerged after the Norman Conquest. However, it is likely that the name evolved from similar place names recorded in the Domesday Book, such as "Blachenavene" in Wiltshire and "Blachedich" in Somerset, which contain elements related to darkness or blackness.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Blakeway surname was John Blakeway, who was born around 1450 in Worcestershire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Blakeway (1530-1591), a distinguished soldier and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the Blakeway family established themselves in Shropshire, where they owned substantial estates. Robert Blakeway (1598-1675) was a prominent member of the gentry and served as a Justice of the Peace in the county. His son, John Blakeway (1628-1701), was a respected scholar and antiquarian who authored several works on the history and antiquities of Shropshire.
During the 18th century, the Reverend John Brickdale Blakeway (1765-1826) was a noted clergyman and historian who wrote extensively on the history and topography of Shropshire. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and contributed to numerous scholarly publications.
Throughout history, the Blakeway surname has been associated with various professions, including landowners, military officers, clergymen, and scholars. While the name may have originated from specific locations in England, it has since spread across the country and beyond, with families bearing the surname making significant contributions in their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blakeway
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakeway, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Blakeway 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 Blakeway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 214
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 7
- Two or more races1.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blakeway
Blakeway 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
#81,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 231
-2 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,072 places
2020
#88,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
-5 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 6,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #76,700 | 233 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #81,772 | 231 | 0.08 | -2 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 5,072 places |
| 2020 | #88,273 | 226 | 0.08 | -5 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 6,501 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 Blakeway 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 | #81,772 | #88,273 | -8.0% |
| Count | 231 | 226 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blakeway bearers went from 231 to 226 (-2.2% change). The surname moved down 6,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #81,772 to #88,273.
FAQ
Blakeway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blakeway?
Name Census estimates that about 259 living Americans carry the surname Blakeway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,323,376 residents.
How common is Blakeway?
Blakeway ranks #88,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 226 people with the surname Blakeway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Blakeway.
Has Blakeway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blakeway went from 231 recorded bearers to 226. That is a decrease of 5 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #81,772 to #88,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Blakeway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakeway, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Blakeway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blakeway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Blakeway (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 Blakeway mean?
A locational surname derived from a residence near a dark or secluded road. 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 Blakeway (0.08 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 Americans have the surname Blakeway?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.