NameCensus.

UK surname

Blackledge

A locational surname denoting someone who lived near a dark hedge or wooded area.

In the 1881 census there were 806 people recorded with the Blackledge surname, ranking it #4,628 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 839, ranked #6,653, down from #4,628 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wigan, Preston and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Wigan and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blackledge is 1,107 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.1%.

1881 census count

806

Ranked #4,628

Modern count

839

2016, ranked #6,653

Peak year

1911

1,107 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blackledge had 806 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,628 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 839 in 2016, ranked #6,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,107 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Blackledge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blackledge surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Blackledge 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 235 #9,206
1861 historical 404 #6,354
1881 historical 806 #4,628
1891 historical 914 #4,517
1901 historical 1,029 #4,643
1911 historical 1,107 #4,191
1997 modern 934 #5,797
1998 modern 941 #5,952
1999 modern 938 #6,008
2000 modern 919 #6,085
2001 modern 926 #5,951
2002 modern 921 #6,092
2003 modern 887 #6,154
2004 modern 909 #6,051
2005 modern 868 #6,197
2006 modern 866 #6,221
2007 modern 867 #6,278
2008 modern 869 #6,300
2009 modern 904 #6,243
2010 modern 925 #6,245
2011 modern 891 #6,364
2012 modern 859 #6,472
2013 modern 881 #6,454
2014 modern 871 #6,531
2015 modern 852 #6,587
2016 modern 839 #6,653

Geography

Back to top

Where Blackledges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wigan, Preston, Blackburn, Bolton-le-Moors and Chorley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Wigan, Chorley and West Lancashire. 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 Wigan Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Chorley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 015 Powys
2 Wigan 008 Wigan
3 Wigan 020 Wigan
4 Chorley 002 Chorley
5 West Lancashire 008 West Lancashire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Blackledge

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Blackledge

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Blackledge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Blackledge household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Blackledge is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Blackledge is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blackledge falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blackledge 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 Blackledge, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Blackledge

The surname Blackledge is of English origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called "Blackledge" or "Black Ledge," possibly referring to a dark-colored rocky outcrop or cliff. The name is predominantly found in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Blackledge surname can be found in the Feet of Fines for Lancashire in 1292, which refers to a person named Richard de Blakedge. This early spelling variation, "Blakedge," provides insight into the potential pronunciation and evolution of the name over time.

In the Palatine Note Book, a historical record compiled in the late 19th century, there is a reference to a family named Blackledge residing in the township of Ratchdale, near Bury in Lancashire, during the 16th and 17th centuries. This suggests that the name had established roots in the region by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Blackledge throughout history include:

1. Thomas Blackledge (c. 1564-1634), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Cambridge from 1598 to 1634.

2. Richard Blackledge (1737-1809), a British officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

3. William Blackledge (1809-1891), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Manchester, including the Manchester and Salford Bank and the Manchester Reform Club.

4. Edmund Blackledge (1849-1921), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

5. Sophia Blackledge (1873-1957), an English educator and suffragist who campaigned for women's rights and was a prominent figure in the Women's Social and Political Union.

While the Blackledge surname is predominantly found in England, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the northern English counties, where it likely originated as a locational name referring to a specific geographic feature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Blackledge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blackledge 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. Lancashire leads with 706 Blackledges recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 706 7.56x
Surrey 28 0.73x
Middlesex 26 0.33x
Yorkshire 25 0.32x
Cheshire 11 0.63x
Warwickshire 4 0.20x
Dorset 3 0.58x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Worcestershire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorley in Lancashire leads with 108 Blackledges recorded in 1881 and an index of 206.03x.

Place Total Index
Chorley 108 206.03x
Preston 66 26.41x
Blackburn 62 24.95x
Wigan 40 30.64x
Ince In Makerfield 35 80.52x
Accrington 29 34.15x
Over Darwen 19 25.47x
Little Bolton 16 13.32x
Leyland 14 86.15x
Great Bolton 13 10.51x
Hindley 12 30.13x
Livesey 12 73.22x
Bermondsey 11 4.69x
Blackrod 11 94.75x
Mile End Old Town London 11 6.57x
Withnell 11 191.97x
Farington 10 183.82x
Great Crosby 9 35.34x
Harwood 9 184.43x
North Meols 9 9.84x
Pilkington 9 25.37x
Shevington 9 210.77x
Abram 8 111.58x
Adlington 8 91.43x
Hoyland Nether 8 41.82x
Lymm 8 63.34x
Scarisbrick 8 73.80x
Standish With Langtree 8 69.57x
Bethnal Green London 7 2.05x
Sharples 7 69.10x
Bradford 6 3.18x
Bury 6 5.62x
Elton 6 18.59x
Fishwick 6 103.81x
Haughton 6 44.02x
Lambeth 6 0.87x
Newington 6 2.06x
Rainford 6 59.41x
Whittle Le Woods 6 193.55x
Winwick With Hulme 6 454.55x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 10.66x
Hulme 5 2.56x
Mile End New Town London 5 32.15x
Oswaldtwistle 5 15.15x
Pendleton In Salford 5 4.49x
Walton Le Dale 5 19.92x
Walton On Hill 5 9.88x
Warrington 5 4.52x
West Derby 5 1.83x
Witton 5 42.55x
Wrightington 5 122.55x
Birmingham 4 0.60x
Great Harwood 4 23.70x
Great Little Marsden 4 9.35x
Habergham Eaves 4 4.68x
Kearsley 4 20.35x
North Bierley 4 9.50x
Rumworth 4 29.96x
Salford 4 1.46x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.53x
Upholland 4 33.42x
Bradford 3 6.86x
Brindle 3 93.17x
Church 3 22.74x
Fordington 3 26.95x
Great Little Saughall 3 156.25x
Halliwell 3 8.82x
Hoghton 3 127.12x
Holbeck 3 5.81x
Lathom 3 26.60x
Liverpool 3 0.53x
Birkdale 2 8.46x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 2.70x
Burnley 2 2.54x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 2 20.04x
Leeds 2 0.45x
Manchester 2 0.48x
Ramsgreave 2 307.69x
Wheelton 2 47.85x
Worsbrough 2 8.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 60
Elizabeth 43
Alice 30
Sarah 30
Jane 26
Ellen 25
Ann 21
Margaret 21
Hannah 11
Martha 9
Lucy 7
Maria 7
Margt. 6
Annie 5
Catherine 5
Elizth. 5
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Isabella 4
Nancy 4
Betsy 3
Eleanor 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Louisa 3
Margret 3
Rose 3
Sophia 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Annas 2
Clara 2
Dinah 2
Eliz. 2
Emma 2
F. 2
Jemima 2
Lydia 2
Ruth 2
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Bridget 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Elizh. 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Tabitha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 63
James 48
William 44
Thomas 38
George 25
Henry 19
Joseph 18
Robert 17
Richard 14
Edward 11
Wm. 8
Nathan 5
Nicholas 5
Peter 5
Amos 4
Ellis 4
Robt. 4
Thos. 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Miles 3
Alfred 2
Eli 2
Fred 2
Garibaldi 2
Hugh 2
J. 2
Jas. 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Christopher 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Emmanuel 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Frncis 1
Geoffrey 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Mary 1
Mathew 1
Myles 1
Paul 1
Pearson 1
Richd. 1
Roger 1

FAQ

Blackledge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blackledge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 806 people were recorded with the Blackledge surname. That placed it at #4,628 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blackledge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 839 in 2016. That gives Blackledge a modern rank of #6,653.

What does the Blackledge surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone who lived near a dark hedge or wooded area.

What does the Blackledge map show?

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