2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Blakslee
A surname meaning someone who lived at or near a place of blackened or charred ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Blakslee. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blakslee 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Blakslee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakslee, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blakslee
The surname Blakslee is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Essex, where it was initially spelled as "Blakeslee." This name is derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning "black" and "leah" meaning "a clearing or meadow." It likely referred to a person who lived near a dark or shaded meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "Henricus de Blakesle." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Blakesleye" and "Blakeslee," reflecting the evolution of spelling practices during that era. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 mention a "Willelmus de Blakeslee" from Essex.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the name continued to vary, with forms like "Blakslee" and "Blaxlee" appearing in parish records and other historical documents. One notable individual from this period was John Blakslee, a merchant from London, who was born around 1580.
In the 18th century, the name Blakslee began to gain prominence in the United States, where it was carried by early settlers from England. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Thomas Blakslee, who was born in 1712 in Stratford, Connecticut.
Another notable figure was Reverend Josiah Blakslee, who was born in 1735 in Stratford, Connecticut, and served as a minister in various churches throughout New England. He played a significant role in the religious and cultural life of the region during the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname Blakslee made their mark in various fields. One such person was William Blakslee, a prominent lawyer and judge from New York, who was born in 1812 and served as a member of the New York State Assembly.
Another notable individual was Henry Blakslee, a successful businessman and philanthropist from Connecticut, who was born in 1825. He founded the Blakslee Manufacturing Company, which produced various industrial products and contributed to the economic growth of the region.
Throughout history, the surname Blakslee has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience and achievement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blakslee
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakslee, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Blakslee 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 Blakslee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 97
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blakslee
Blakslee 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,497 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,497 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 5,086 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 Blakslee 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 | #147,253 | #152,339 | -3.5% |
| Count | 112 | 106 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blakslee bearers went from 112 to 106 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 5,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,339.
FAQ
Blakslee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blakslee?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Blakslee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Blakslee?
Blakslee ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Blakslee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Blakslee.
Has Blakslee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blakslee went from 112 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Blakslee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blakslee, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Blakslee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blakslee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Blakslee (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 Blakslee mean?
A surname meaning someone who lived at or near a place of blackened or charred ground. 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 Blakslee (0.04 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 common is the surname Blakslee?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Blakslee, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.