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

Bley, 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 Bley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bley in America

Bley is the 20910th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bley surname appeared 1,260 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 Bley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bley 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 Bley

The surname BLEY is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing. The Old High German word "blawi" or "blawaz" means "bluish" or "lead-colored," which could refer to the color of the soil or vegetation in the area.

In its earliest forms, the name was spelled as "Bleye," "Bleie," or "Blewe." One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, where a certain "Heinrich Bleye" is mentioned in 1389.

The BLEY name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 15th century, a wealthy merchant named Hans BLEY was a prominent figure in the city of Leipzig. His son, Johann BLEY (1450-1521), became a respected scholar and theologian at the University of Leipzig.

During the Reformation, the BLEY family produced several influential Protestant ministers and theologians. One of the most notable was Andreas BLEY (1576-1640), who served as a pastor in Dresden and authored several religious treatises.

In the 18th century, a branch of the BLEY family emerged in the town of Neustadt an der Aisch, in Bavaria. This line included Johann Michael BLEY (1714-1788), a renowned clockmaker whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after throughout Europe.

Another notable figure with the BLEY surname was Karl August BLEY (1801-1875), a German landscape painter who was part of the Romantic movement. His works, which often depicted scenes from the Bavarian countryside, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.

Over the centuries, variations of the BLEY name emerged, such as "Blay," "Blaie," and "Bläy." Some of these spellings were influenced by local dialects or customs, while others may have been adopted to distinguish different family lines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bley

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

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

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

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