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

Bly, 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 Bly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bly in America

Bly is the 6955th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bly surname appeared 4,823 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bly 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 Bly

The surname Bly has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bly," meaning "cheerful" or "joyful." The name was initially used as a nickname for someone with a cheerful or jovial personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bly can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Blie" and "Blye." This suggests that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name Bly was closely associated with the village of Bly in Sussex, England. It is likely that some families adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence in this area. The village name itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bly" and "leah," meaning "cheerful clearing" or "pleasant meadow."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bly was John Bly, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1230. Another notable figure was William Bly, a merchant from London, who lived in the 14th century and was involved in trade with the Netherlands.

In the 16th century, the name Bly appeared in various forms, such as "Blye," "Bligh," and "Blie." One prominent individual from this period was Richard Bly, born in 1540 in Gloucestershire, who served as a Member of Parliament for Westbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the 17th century, the Bly surname gained further prominence with individuals like John Bly (1601-1681), a Puritan minister and author from Dorset, and Edward Bly (1619-1687), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somersetshire.

Other notable figures with the surname Bly include Robert Bly (born 1926), an American poet, author, and activist, and Nellie Bly (1864-1922), a pioneering American journalist and investigative reporter known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days.

While the surname Bly has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "bly," reflecting the cheerful and joyful connotations associated with this name throughout its long history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bly

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

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

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

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