2000
#3,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,683
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.59
Uncommon Last name
Blaylock
An English occupational surname referring to a person who kept watch or guarded an area, derived from "blaye" and "lock."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,887 Americans carry the last name Blaylock. That puts it at #3,648 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,483 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blaylock 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 Blaylock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,483
Census rank
#3,648
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.5K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,494 bearers of the surname Blaylock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3648th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blaylock, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blaylock
The surname Blaylock originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning black, and "leac" meaning meadow or field, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a dark or shaded meadow.
The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Blacheslach," which was a place name in Derbyshire. This early spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the surname over time.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Blaylock was William Blaylock, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. Another early record is of John Blaylok, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1344.
In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Blaylock, Blaylok, and Blaylocke. A notable figure from this time was Sir Thomas Blaylock, a landowner and member of the gentry in Lancashire, who lived from 1520 to 1589.
During the 17th century, the surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with records showing individuals named Blaylock residing in counties like Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Blaylock was Sir John Blaylock, a prominent military leader who fought in the English Civil War. He was born in 1615 and served as a Colonel in the Royalist army under King Charles I.
Another notable figure was Robert Blaylock, a renowned architect and builder from Yorkshire, who lived from 1670 to 1738. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings in the region during the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the Blaylock surname remained prevalent in various parts of England, with individuals bearing this name found in records from counties like Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire.
A prominent individual from this period was William Blaylock, a renowned philanthropist and industrialist from Lancashire, who lived from 1810 to 1892. He made significant contributions to the development of his local community and was widely respected for his charitable endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blaylock
Among Census respondents with the surname Blaylock, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Blaylock 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 Blaylock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.6% · 7,086
- Black or African American15.9% · 1,513
- Two or more races4.5% · 427
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 302
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 46
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blaylock
Blaylock 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
#3,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,008
+325 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 3.39
Rank movement Down 183 places
2020
#3,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,494
-514 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 3.18
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,380 | 9,683 | 3.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,563 | 10,008 | 3.39 | +325 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 183 places |
| 2020 | #3,648 | 9,494 | 3.18 | -514 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 85 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 Blaylock 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 | #3,563 | #3,648 | -2.4% |
| Count | 10,008 | 9,494 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.39 | 3.18 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blaylock bearers went from 10,008 to 9,494 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,563 to #3,648.
FAQ
Blaylock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blaylock?
Name Census estimates that about 10,887 living Americans carry the surname Blaylock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,483 residents.
How common is Blaylock?
Blaylock ranks #3,648 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,494 people with the surname Blaylock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,887), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Blaylock.
Has Blaylock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blaylock went from 10,008 recorded bearers to 9,494. That is a decrease of 514 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,563 to #3,648.
What does the Census say about the background of Blaylock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blaylock, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Blaylock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.6% (7,086 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blaylock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.6%), Black (15.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Blaylock (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 Blaylock mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who kept watch or guarded an area, derived from "blaye" and "lock." 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 Blaylock (3.18 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 Blaylock?
Find out how many people have the last name Blaylock on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.