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

Bliley, 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 Bliley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bliley in America

Bliley is the 65244th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bliley surname appeared 304 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 Bliley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bliley 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 Bliley

The surname Bliley has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bleo" or "blie," meaning "color" or "hue," and "leah," meaning "meadow" or "woodland clearing." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a colorful meadow or a clearing in a forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bliley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Blideleah." This entry suggests that the name was already in use in England during the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Blidelegh" and "Blydelegh." These spellings further reinforce the connection to the Old English word "leah" and indicate that the name was still associated with a specific place or location.

One notable figure bearing the Bliley surname was Sir John Bliley, a knight who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in several historical records from that time, and his name is sometimes spelled as "Blythelegh."

During the 16th century, the surname Bliley began to appear in its more modern spelling. In 1567, a record from the parish of Holcombe Burnell in Devon mentions a William Bliley, indicating that the name had spread to different parts of England by that time.

In the 18th century, a notable individual named Thomas Bliley (1702-1783) was born in Gloucestershire, England. He later emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Virginia, where he became a prosperous landowner and played an active role in local affairs.

Another significant figure with the Bliley surname was James Bliley (1837-1914), an English businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Bliley Manufacturing Company, which produced textiles and other goods, and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational and cultural institutions.

Throughout its history, the surname Bliley has maintained its association with England, although it has also been carried by individuals who have migrated to other parts of the world, particularly to North America and other English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bliley

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

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

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

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