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

Blakey, 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 Blakey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blakey in America

Blakey is the 8655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blakey surname appeared 3,796 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Blakey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blakey 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 Blakey

The surname Blakey originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning "black" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name likely referred to a person who lived near or worked on a dark or blackened meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Blachelie." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England at the time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Blakeley," "Blakely," and "Blakelay," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. During this period, the name was also associated with several place names, including Blackley in Manchester and Blackley in Worcestershire.

Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Blakey throughout history are:

1. William Blakey (1619-1675), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Little Woodbury, Wiltshire.

2. Robert Blakey (1795-1878), a British landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes in Yorkshire.

3. Anne Blakey (1810-1890), an English philanthropist and social reformer who worked tirelessly to improve the living conditions of the poor in Manchester.

4. John Blakey (1854-1932), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and represented England in two Test matches.

5. Thomas Blakey (1882-1961), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1935 to 1945.

The surname Blakey has a rich history rooted in the northern regions of England, with its origins dating back to the medieval period and evolving over time through various spellings and associations with specific locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blakey

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

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

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

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