NameCensus.

UK surname

Blackett

A locational surname derived from a dark complexioned person or someone from a location with that name.

In the 1881 census there were 1,142 people recorded with the Blackett surname, ranking it #3,505 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,648, ranked #3,781, down from #3,505 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cockfield, London parishes and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and New Abbey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blackett is 1,798 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.3%.

1881 census count

1,142

Ranked #3,505

Modern count

1,648

2016, ranked #3,781

Peak year

1999

1,798 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blackett had 1,142 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,505 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,648 in 2016, ranked #3,781.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,703 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Blackett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blackett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blackett 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 631 #4,113
1861 historical 684 #3,936
1881 historical 1,142 #3,505
1891 historical 1,315 #3,302
1901 historical 1,483 #3,452
1911 historical 1,703 #2,882
1997 modern 1,719 #3,466
1998 modern 1,790 #3,461
1999 modern 1,798 #3,479
2000 modern 1,773 #3,505
2001 modern 1,723 #3,532
2002 modern 1,740 #3,581
2003 modern 1,679 #3,618
2004 modern 1,670 #3,634
2005 modern 1,655 #3,626
2006 modern 1,647 #3,645
2007 modern 1,655 #3,660
2008 modern 1,653 #3,692
2009 modern 1,685 #3,713
2010 modern 1,731 #3,687
2011 modern 1,719 #3,662
2012 modern 1,643 #3,751
2013 modern 1,659 #3,786
2014 modern 1,670 #3,782
2015 modern 1,651 #3,785
2016 modern 1,648 #3,781

Geography

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Where Blacketts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cockfield, London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Auckland St Andrew and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and New Abbey. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Cockfield Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Auckland St Andrew Durham
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 064 County Durham
2 County Durham 051 County Durham
3 County Durham 052 County Durham
4 New Abbey Dumfries and Galloway
5 County Durham 056 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blackett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blackett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blackett, 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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Blackett 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

Blackett is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blackett 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 Blackett 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 Blackett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Blackett

The surname Blackett originated in England. It is derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning black and "gat" meaning a roadway or path. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Blacket.

The Blackett family traces its roots back to Northumberland, a county in the north of England. The name is associated with several place names in the region, such as Blackett Farm and Blackett Bridge. These locations likely took their names from the original Blackett family who resided there.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Sir Walter Blackett, who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent landowner in Northumberland and is mentioned in several historical records from that time.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Blackett family settled in Newcastle upon Tyne, where they became successful merchants and coal mine owners. Sir William Blackett (1609-1680) was a prominent figure in the city and served as Mayor of Newcastle in 1673.

Another notable member of the Blackett family was Sir Walter Calverley Blackett (1605-1677), a British naval officer who served during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. He was knighted for his service and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the 18th century, the Blackett family continued to play a significant role in the coal mining industry in Northumberland. John Blackett (1722-1786) was a wealthy coal magnate and landowner who built the impressive Matfen Hall near Newcastle.

The Blackett surname has also been carried by several notable scholars and academics over the years. One such individual was Patrick Blackett (1897-1974), a British physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1948 for his work on cosmic rays and particle physics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blackett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blackett 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. Durham leads with 420 Blacketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.65x.

County Total Index
Durham 420 12.65x
Middlesex 144 1.29x
Northumberland 144 8.67x
Yorkshire 142 1.28x
Lancashire 46 0.35x
Kent 44 1.16x
Surrey 41 0.75x
Westmorland 34 13.86x
Devon 19 0.82x
Norfolk 13 0.76x
Cumberland 11 1.14x
Berkshire 8 0.96x
Suffolk 8 0.59x
Cheshire 7 0.28x
Sussex 7 0.37x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.48x
Essex 5 0.23x
Leicestershire 5 0.40x
Bedfordshire 4 0.69x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.57x
Hertfordshire 4 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.27x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.00x
Hampshire 3 0.13x
Midlothian 3 0.20x
Somerset 3 0.17x
Derbyshire 2 0.11x
Dorset 2 0.27x
Rutland 2 2.44x
Staffordshire 2 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.22x
Fife 1 0.15x
Perthshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 0.75x
Worcestershire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lynesack Softley in Durham leads with 92 Blacketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1025.64x.

Place Total Index
Lynesack Softley 92 1025.64x
Bethnal Green London 42 8.66x
Byker 33 40.20x
Bishopwearmouth 31 10.88x
Woodland 30 1363.64x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 26 26.22x
Newcastle On Tyne St 25 29.05x
Shoreditch London 24 4.96x
Monkwearmouth Shore 23 35.49x
Plumstead 17 13.39x
Sedgefield 17 143.70x
Bishop Auckland 16 35.92x
Gainford 16 466.47x
Hackney London 15 2.40x
South Bedburn Hamsterley 14 1060.61x
Sunderland 14 23.88x
Elswick 13 9.81x
Evenwood Barony 13 115.15x
Spitalfields London 13 15.49x
Thirsk 13 101.88x
Gateshead 12 4.83x
Hedleyhope 12 208.70x
Skelton In Guisbrough 11 36.78x
Westgate 11 10.70x
Crossgate 10 68.87x
Middlesbrough 10 6.94x
Stainmore 10 529.10x
Sunderland Bridge 10 190.11x
Cockfield 9 194.38x
Coundon 9 66.86x
Deptford St Paul 9 3.06x
Guisbrough Tocketts 9 656.93x
Hutton 9 604.03x
Kingston On Thames 9 6.89x
Kirkleatham 9 60.28x
Rotherham 9 14.44x
Thorpe 9 378.15x
Wakefield 9 10.60x
Ancroft 8 136.99x
Liverpool 8 0.99x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 8 36.65x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 3.56x
Wolsingham 8 26.44x
Brotton 7 48.51x
Clerkenwell London 7 2.66x
Croydon 7 2.32x
Elvet 7 29.20x
Guisbrough 7 28.97x
Hunslet 7 4.06x
Plymouth Charles The 7 6.84x
Ryhope 7 30.37x
St George Hanover Square 7 3.56x
Stockton On Tees 7 4.37x
Barnard Castle 6 36.56x
Broughton In Salford 6 4.96x
Islington London 6 0.55x
Normanby In 6 20.30x
Old Windsor 6 61.92x
Orton 6 81.86x
Penrith 6 16.91x
Rawmarsh 6 15.36x
Sculthorpe 6 266.67x
St Pancras London 6 0.67x
Tynemouth 6 6.75x
Wangford 6 234.38x
Warcop 6 218.18x
Westoe 6 3.19x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 5 37.88x
Bishop Middleham 5 280.90x
Bradford 5 1.87x
Brighton 5 1.32x
Bromley London 5 2.04x
Chester Le Street 5 19.62x
Chorley 5 6.73x
Fakenham 5 59.17x
Leicester St Mary 5 5.00x
Helmington Row 4 25.87x
Kyo 4 25.59x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 2.24x
Tormoham 4 4.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 106
Elizabeth 54
Sarah 40
Jane 33
Margaret 32
Ann 31
Hannah 18
Isabella 17
Alice 15
Annie 12
Emily 11
Martha 10
Anne 9
Frances 9
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Eliza 6
Harriett 6
Ada 5
Agnes 5
Caroline 5
Clara 5
Edith 5
Fanny 5
Maria 5
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Dorothy 4
Eleanor 4
Florence 4
Margt. 4
Susan 4
Ethel 3
Laura 3
Louisa 3
M. 3
Margt.A. 3
Rachael 3
Agness 2
Catharene 2
Gertrude 2
Grace 2
Helen 2
Isabel 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Mabel 2
Madeline 2
Maud 2
May 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 81
William 50
Thomas 49
Joseph 41
George 34
Robert 27
James 23
Henry 19
Edward 16
Ralph 12
Cuthbert 11
Charles 10
Francis 8
Christopher 7
Frederick 7
Albert 6
Arthur 6
Alexander 5
Robt. 5
Stephen 5
Anthony 4
Fred 4
Herbert 3
Matthew 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
J. 2
Luke 2
Mathew 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
Robson 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Abel 1
Alexr. 1
Benjm. 1
Bryne 1
Enoch 1
Ezra 1
Fearon 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Hy.Wm.Griffith 1
Isabella 1
Jno.R. 1

FAQ

Blackett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blackett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,142 people were recorded with the Blackett surname. That placed it at #3,505 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blackett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,648 in 2016. That gives Blackett a modern rank of #3,781.

What does the Blackett surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a dark complexioned person or someone from a location with that name.

What does the Blackett map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Blackett 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.