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

Bleakley, 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 Bleakley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bleakley in America

Bleakley is the 26422nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bleakley surname appeared 924 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 Bleakley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bleakley 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 Bleakley

The surname Bleakley is of English origin, originating from the northern counties of England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning pale or white, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a light or pale-colored meadow.

Records show that the name was first found in Lancashire, where the Bleakley family held a family seat from ancient times. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1188, where it is spelled "Blakeley."

In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name is recorded as "Blakeleye," and in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, it appears as "Blakeley." These variations in spelling were common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of consistent orthographic rules.

The Bleakley family played a significant role in the history of Lancashire and Yorkshire. John Bleakley (1489-1557) was a notable member of the family, serving as the Sheriff of Lancashire in 1532. During the English Civil War, Richard Bleakley (1612-1690) was a staunch Royalist supporter and fought alongside King Charles I.

In the 18th century, the Bleakley family expanded their influence beyond northern England. William Bleakley (1735-1809) was a prominent merchant and landowner in County Armagh, Ireland. His son, John Bleakley (1771-1844), became a successful barrister and served as a Member of Parliament for Armagh from 1818 to 1826.

Another notable individual was Sir Thomas Bleakley (1855-1922), a British businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Manchester from 1908 to 1909. He was knighted in 1910 for his contributions to the city.

Other individuals with the Bleakley surname include:

1. Robert Bleakley (1795-1856), an English architect known for his work on several churches in Lancashire.
2. John Bleakley (1832-1912), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.
3. Margaret Bleakley (1875-1958), a Scottish author and editor known for her works on Celtic literature and folklore.
4. John Bleakley (1895-1970), a British architect and town planner who designed several public housing projects in London.
5. David Bleakley (born 1965), a Northern Irish football player who played for several clubs, including Glentoran and Linfield.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bleakley

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

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

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

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