NameCensus.

UK surname

Blackley

Derived from a place name meaning "dark wood" or "dark meadow."

In the 1881 census there were 816 people recorded with the Blackley surname, ranking it #4,586 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 855, ranked #6,547, down from #4,586 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Leith and Newhaven, Stafford and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blackley is 976 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.8%.

1881 census count

816

Ranked #4,586

Modern count

855

2016, ranked #6,547

Peak year

1891

976 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blackley had 816 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,586 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 855 in 2016, ranked #6,547.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 976 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Blackley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blackley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blackley 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 527 #4,760
1861 historical 858 #3,225
1881 historical 816 #4,586
1891 historical 976 #4,238
1901 historical 962 #4,885
1911 historical 378 #9,698
1997 modern 842 #6,288
1998 modern 862 #6,364
1999 modern 861 #6,418
2000 modern 847 #6,476
2001 modern 830 #6,465
2002 modern 854 #6,438
2003 modern 848 #6,357
2004 modern 843 #6,390
2005 modern 844 #6,340
2006 modern 846 #6,344
2007 modern 839 #6,442
2008 modern 842 #6,476
2009 modern 863 #6,494
2010 modern 862 #6,618
2011 modern 852 #6,602
2012 modern 851 #6,521
2013 modern 858 #6,580
2014 modern 863 #6,590
2015 modern 860 #6,538
2016 modern 855 #6,547

Geography

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Where Blackleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Leith and Newhaven, Stafford, Southwark, North Lincolnshire and Barrow-in-Furness. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Leith and Newhaven City of Edinburgh
2 Stafford 010 Stafford
3 Southwark 033 Southwark
4 North Lincolnshire 008 North Lincolnshire
5 Barrow-in-Furness 004 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blackley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blackley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blackley, 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 Blackley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Blackley 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, Blackley 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

Blackley is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blackley falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blackley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Blackley

The surname Blackley finds its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, referring to a locality or settlement where the original bearers of the name resided. One theory suggests that the name is a combination of the Old English words "blæc" meaning black, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, thus translating to "black clearing" or "black meadow."

Another possibility is that the name stems from the place name "Blakeley" or "Blackley," which can be found in various regions of England, including Lancashire, Worcestershire, and Derbyshire. These place names are believed to have originated from the same Old English roots, indicating a dark or black-colored area, perhaps due to the presence of peat or dense vegetation.

The earliest known record of the Blackley surname dates back to the 13th century, with mentions in historical documents such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. One notable individual was John de Blakeleye, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Blakeley, Blackley, and Blacklegh, reflecting the regional variations and inconsistencies in spelling during that time period. One such example is Richard Blakelegh, who was mentioned in the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond in 1392.

During the 16th century, the Blackley surname gained prominence in the Lancashire region. Thomas Blackley, a notable figure from this era, was born in 1530 and served as the Rector of Radcliffe, Lancashire, from 1577 until his death in 1594.

In the 17th century, the Blackley family held land and property in various parts of Lancashire. Robert Blackley, born in 1612, was a landowner in Oldham, while John Blackley, born in 1638, was a prominent figure in the nearby town of Ashton-under-Lyne.

As the centuries progressed, the Blackley surname continued to spread throughout England and eventually to other parts of the world. Notable individuals with this surname include William Blackley (1830-1904), a British social reformer and advocate for national insurance, and John Blackley (1786-1861), an English painter renowned for his landscape and marine paintings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blackley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blackley 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 212 Blackleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.28x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 212 8.28x
Lancashire 171 1.82x
Middlesex 73 0.92x
Ayrshire 56 9.45x
Midlothian 56 5.28x
Renfrewshire 46 7.49x
Surrey 30 0.78x
Kent 21 0.78x
Dumfriesshire 19 10.86x
Yorkshire 15 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 12 2.39x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 9.59x
Dunbartonshire 10 4.70x
Sussex 10 0.75x
Derbyshire 7 0.56x
Stirlingshire 7 2.40x
Cheshire 6 0.34x
Durham 6 0.25x
Hampshire 6 0.37x
Essex 5 0.32x
Hertfordshire 5 0.92x
Angus 4 0.55x
Gloucestershire 4 0.26x
Northamptonshire 4 0.54x
Inverness-shire 3 1.27x
Denbighshire 2 0.67x
Perthshire 2 0.56x
Argyllshire 1 0.45x
Cumberland 1 0.15x
Devon 1 0.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 1.06x
Shropshire 1 0.15x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x

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 49 Blackleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.73x.

Place Total Index
Govan 49 7.73x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 37 8.67x
Barony 31 4.78x
Carnwath 24 151.52x
Preston 22 8.75x
Glasgow 19 4.18x
St Pancras London 19 2.98x
Great Bolton 18 14.46x
Carluke 16 68.79x
New Monkland 14 18.49x
Gorbals 13 85.53x
Shettleston 13 56.69x
St Marylebone London 13 3.07x
West Derby 13 4.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 7.53x
Edinburgh Greenside 11 78.46x
Inverkip 11 76.02x
Pendleton In Salford 11 9.82x
East Greenock 9 15.53x
New Kilpatrick 9 44.44x
Newington 9 3.08x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 3.89x
Bermondsey 8 3.39x
Blantyre 8 30.00x
Cambusnethan 8 14.06x
Dumfries 8 46.35x
Greenwich 8 6.34x
Kilmaurs 8 79.29x
Paisley High Church 8 16.37x
Abbey 7 7.47x
Ardrossan 7 34.11x
Chesterfield 7 15.06x
Irvine 7 42.50x
Mile End Old Town London 7 4.15x
Slamannan 7 43.75x
Barrow In Furness 6 4.69x
Borgue 6 194.81x
Crawfordjohn 6 262.01x
Dundonald 6 27.45x
Glencairn 6 127.66x
Islington London 6 0.78x
Kensington London 6 1.36x
Kirkdale 6 3.79x
Kirkmichael 6 111.11x
Little Bolton 6 4.96x
Middlestone 6 126.85x
Oldham 6 1.98x
Renfrew 6 29.60x
South Leith 6 5.02x
Tonge 6 30.43x
Walton Le Dale 6 23.75x
Westminster St John 6 6.22x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 3.35x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 10.60x
Hamilton 5 7.00x
Holy Trinity Cambridge 5 91.91x
Hove 5 8.53x
Kilwinning 5 26.12x
North Waltham 5 442.48x
West Greenock 5 4.54x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 5.65x
Bradford 4 9.09x
Breightmet 4 96.85x
Drypool 4 33.28x
Dundee 4 1.46x
Kirkoswald 4 82.64x
Manchester 4 0.95x
Preston 4 17.15x
Sculcoates 4 3.21x
West Ham 4 1.16x
Boughton Under Blean 3 66.23x
Broughton In Salford 3 3.49x
Everton 3 1.00x
Inverness 3 5.04x
Liverpool 3 0.53x
Northampton St Peter 3 66.23x
Rutherglen 3 7.98x
Sorn 3 25.75x
St Andrewthe Less 3 5.23x
Urmston 3 49.18x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 17
James 14
Thomas 13
George 9
Alfred 6
Charles 6
Joseph 6
Edward 5
Henry 4
Robert 4
Daniel 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Eli 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Ralph 2
Alex 1
Alex.F. 1
Arthur 1
Auther 1
Benjaman 1
Benjamin 1
Chas.H. 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
H. 1
Herbert 1
Jerry 1
Johnson 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Laurence 1
Newsom 1
Revd.William 1
Roger 1
Squire 1
Sussannah 1
Travers 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Blackley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blackley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 816 people were recorded with the Blackley surname. That placed it at #4,586 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blackley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 855 in 2016. That gives Blackley a modern rank of #6,547.

What does the Blackley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "dark wood" or "dark meadow."

What does the Blackley map show?

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