NameCensus.

UK surname

Black

An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with dark hair, dark skin, or a gloomy personality.

In the 1881 census there were 19,357 people recorded with the Black surname, ranking it #194 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 29,765, ranked #182, up from #194 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Upper Nithsdale, Oban South and IZ16.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Black is 29,765 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.8%.

1881 census count

19,357

Ranked #194

Modern count

29,765

2016, ranked #182

Peak year

2016

29,765 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Black had 19,357 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #194 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 29,765 in 2016, ranked #182.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 23,510 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Black surname distribution map

The map shows where the Black surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Black surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Black over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 13,896 #169
1861 historical 14,682 #159
1881 historical 19,357 #194
1891 historical 20,630 #189
1901 historical 23,510 #199
1911 historical 10,321 #475
1997 modern 27,199 #200
1998 modern 27,887 #200
1999 modern 28,115 #201
2000 modern 28,122 #200
2001 modern 27,256 #201
2002 modern 27,972 #199
2003 modern 27,429 #200
2004 modern 27,409 #200
2005 modern 27,315 #196
2006 modern 27,382 #196
2007 modern 27,732 #193
2008 modern 27,938 #191
2009 modern 28,638 #191
2010 modern 29,178 #191
2011 modern 28,818 #191
2012 modern 28,569 #191
2013 modern 29,187 #191
2014 modern 29,640 #188
2015 modern 29,569 #185
2016 modern 29,765 #182

Geography

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Where Blacks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Upper Nithsdale, Oban South, IZ16, Dunoon and Stockbridge. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
2 Oban South Argyll and Bute
3 IZ16 East Lothian
4 Dunoon Argyll and Bute
5 Stockbridge City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Black

These lists show first names that appear often with the Black surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Black

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Black, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Black surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Black household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Black is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Black is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Black falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Black is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Black, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Black

The surname Black is an English surname that originated as a nickname derived from the Old English word 'blæc', meaning black or dark colored. It was typically given to individuals with dark hair or complexion, or perhaps someone who worked in a trade that involved soot or coal, such as a blacksmith or chimney sweep.

The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, with records showing it in use as early as the 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard le Blake, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1176.

In the famous Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several references to individuals with the surname Black or variations of it, such as Blacc, Blac, and Blake. These entries indicate that the name was already well-established in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.

Over the centuries, the Black surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Blacke, Blak, and Blacque, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistencies in written records during earlier periods. Some of these variations may have also been influenced by place names, such as Black Bourton in Oxfordshire or Black Notley in Essex.

Notable individuals with the surname Black throughout history include:

1. Joseph Black (1728-1799), a Scottish chemist and physicist who is best known for his discoveries of latent heat and carbon dioxide. 2. Jeremiah Black (1810-1883), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 25th United States Secretary of State under President James Buchanan. 3. Hugo Black (1886-1971), an American politician and jurist who served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama and later as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. 4. Clementine Black (1853-1922), an English novelist and journalist who wrote under the pen name "Clementine Black". 5. William Black (1841-1898), a Scottish novelist and journalist who was particularly known for his novels set in the Scottish Highlands.

The Black surname has a long and rich history, spanning centuries and reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of its bearers across various fields and regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Black families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Black surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 3,369 Blacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.51x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 3,369 5.51x
Midlothian 1,309 5.17x
Lancashire 1,071 0.48x
Fife 908 8.11x
Angus 907 5.18x
Middlesex 844 0.45x
Aberdeenshire 778 4.44x
Renfrewshire 745 5.08x
Durham 682 1.21x
Ayrshire 666 4.70x
Argyllshire 655 12.44x
Northumberland 616 2.19x
Yorkshire 543 0.29x
Kent 426 0.66x
Cumberland 367 2.25x
Leicestershire 332 1.58x
Surrey 323 0.35x
Perthshire 320 3.77x
East Lothian 301 12.01x
Stirlingshire 290 4.16x
Dumfriesshire 285 6.82x
West Lothian 232 8.14x
Dunbartonshire 231 4.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 194 7.08x
Warwickshire 175 0.37x
Lincolnshire 170 0.56x
Buteshire 154 13.44x
Nottinghamshire 150 0.59x
Berwickshire 137 5.98x
Wigtownshire 136 5.41x
Banffshire 124 3.16x
Hampshire 123 0.32x
Derbyshire 106 0.36x
Roxburghshire 100 2.92x
Norfolk 92 0.32x
Inverness-shire 88 1.56x
Morayshire 88 2.99x
Kincardineshire 81 3.52x
Essex 74 0.20x
Staffordshire 72 0.11x
Northamptonshire 71 0.40x
Sussex 71 0.22x
Cheshire 70 0.17x
Devon 62 0.16x
Isle of Man 62 1.76x
Clackmannanshire 61 3.90x
Shetland 49 2.54x
Westmorland 43 1.03x
Gloucestershire 42 0.11x
Suffolk 41 0.18x
Caithness 39 1.51x
Kinross-shire 39 8.16x
Ross-shire 39 0.75x
Berkshire 33 0.23x
Herefordshire 33 0.43x
Selkirkshire 31 1.81x
Shropshire 31 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 26 0.22x
Bedfordshire 22 0.22x
Somerset 22 0.07x
Sutherland 22 1.51x
Glamorgan 20 0.06x
Royal Navy 20 0.89x
Cornwall 17 0.08x
Worcestershire 17 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 16 0.14x
Monmouthshire 15 0.11x
Hertfordshire 14 0.11x
Peeblesshire 14 1.57x
Nairnshire 12 2.08x
Wiltshire 12 0.07x
Channel Islands 9 0.16x
Anglesey 8 0.24x
Pembrokeshire 8 0.13x
Denbighshire 7 0.10x
Brecknockshire 5 0.13x
Oxfordshire 5 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.09x
Orkney 4 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.04x
Rutland 3 0.22x
Dorset 2 0.02x
Merionethshire 2 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 926 Blacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.12x.

Place Total Index
Govan 926 6.12x
Barony 832 5.37x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 482 4.73x
Glasgow 470 4.33x
Dundee 294 4.49x
New Monkland 205 11.34x
West Greenock 201 7.64x
Aberdeen Old Machar 195 5.33x
Dunfermline 187 10.86x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 167 5.09x
South Leith 148 5.19x
Old Monkland 134 5.52x
Liff Benvie 123 4.62x
Shotts 116 15.84x
Abbey 110 4.92x
Kilmarnock 110 6.53x
Liverpool 110 0.81x
Gateshead 100 2.37x
Rothesay 93 16.75x
Cambusnethan 88 6.48x
East Greenock 87 6.28x
Falkirk 86 5.27x
Kilmore Kilbride 82 24.53x
Bothwell 80 4.82x
Toxteth Park 76 1.00x
Brechin 75 10.89x
Paisley High Church 72 6.17x
Whitburn 71 17.25x
St Vigeans 70 7.40x
Islington London 68 0.37x
Lambeth 67 0.41x
Bishopwearmouth 66 1.37x
Abbotshall 65 15.53x
Manchester 65 0.64x
Everton 64 0.89x
Aston 63 0.48x
Arbroath 60 10.33x
St Marylebone London 60 0.59x
Paisley Middle Church 58 6.80x
Haddington 56 15.14x
Kilsyth 56 12.59x
St Pancras London 56 0.37x
West Calder 56 11.21x
Dundonald 55 10.54x
Inveresk 55 8.02x
Cupar 54 11.09x
Lismore 54 112.55x
Barrow In Furness 53 1.74x
Dalziel 53 8.05x
Hamilton 52 3.05x
Irvine 52 13.22x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 51 2.09x
Montrose 50 4.71x
West Derby 50 0.76x
Kirkdale 49 1.30x
Loughborough 48 5.04x
Nottingham St Mary 48 0.73x
Forfar 47 4.95x
Lasswade 47 8.11x
Bonhill 46 5.64x
Hulme 46 0.98x
Kensington London 46 0.44x
Sorn 46 16.54x
Tynemouth 46 3.05x
Westgate 46 2.64x
Dunoon Kilmun 45 10.96x
Galston 45 11.62x
Heworth 45 4.06x
Kirkcaldy 44 7.92x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 44 2.62x
Bermondsey 43 0.76x
Campbeltown 43 6.77x
Kilfinichen 43 33.01x
Port Glasgow 43 6.07x
Row 43 6.54x
Blantyre 42 6.59x
Camberwell 42 0.35x
Eastwood 42 4.65x
Dunrossness 41 16.12x
New Cumnock 41 16.70x
Dunbar 40 11.39x
Poplar London 40 1.12x
Stirling 40 4.55x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Black surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 477
Elizabeth 285
Sarah 206
Jane 182
Margaret 172
Ann 133
Annie 109
Eliza 93
Ellen 93
Alice 90
Isabella 86
Emma 69
Agnes 62
Emily 56
Catherine 53
Hannah 51
Harriet 42
Fanny 37
Charlotte 36
Martha 36
Jessie 35
Louisa 35
Edith 34
Frances 32
Maria 32
Florence 30
Ada 28
Kate 22
Susan 22
Anne 21
Caroline 21
Eleanor 21
Janet 21
Amy 18
Lucy 18
Matilda 18
Anna 16
Clara 16
Esther 16
Helen 16
Rose 16
Christina 15
Elizth. 14
Gertrude 13
Rachel 13
Rebecca 13
Susannah 12
Barbara 11
Ethel 11
Rosa 11

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Black surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 494
William 466
James 309
George 269
Thomas 240
Robert 172
Joseph 119
Henry 88
Charles 84
Edward 59
Alexander 55
David 55
Arthur 53
Richard 46
Samuel 42
Andrew 41
Alfred 40
Walter 37
Frederick 34
Wm. 24
Peter 20
Frank 19
Harry 19
Albert 18
Francis 15
Isaac 15
Thos. 15
Edwin 14
Adam 13
Benjamin 12
Herbert 12
Michael 12
Robt. 12
Tom 12
Ernest 11
Fredrick 10
Hugh 10
Daniel 9
Jacob 8
Jas. 8
Stephen 8
Jno. 7
Matthew 7
Willm. 7
Amos 6
Edgar 6
Geo. 6
Jonathan 6
Mark 6
Nicholas 6

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Black households.

FAQ

Black surname: questions and answers

How common was the Black surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19,357 people were recorded with the Black surname. That placed it at #194 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Black surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 29,765 in 2016. That gives Black a modern rank of #182.

What does the Black surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with dark hair, dark skin, or a gloomy personality.

What does the Black map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Black bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.