NameCensus.

UK surname

Blackwood

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a dark or dense forest.

In the 1881 census there were 1,754 people recorded with the Blackwood surname, ranking it #2,465 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,450, ranked #1,973, up from #2,465 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kinross, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mauchline Rural, Cumnock Rural and Ballingry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blackwood is 3,465 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.7%.

1881 census count

1,754

Ranked #2,465

Modern count

3,450

2016, ranked #1,973

Peak year

2010

3,465 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blackwood had 1,754 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,465 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,450 in 2016, ranked #1,973.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,133 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Blackwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blackwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blackwood 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 1,284 #2,231
1861 historical 1,396 #2,054
1881 historical 1,754 #2,465
1891 historical 1,890 #2,430
1901 historical 2,133 #2,527
1911 historical 574 #7,069
1997 modern 3,031 #2,118
1998 modern 3,182 #2,110
1999 modern 3,170 #2,131
2000 modern 3,193 #2,104
2001 modern 3,070 #2,145
2002 modern 3,204 #2,098
2003 modern 3,162 #2,077
2004 modern 3,178 #2,064
2005 modern 3,209 #2,028
2006 modern 3,213 #2,032
2007 modern 3,269 #2,027
2008 modern 3,281 #2,034
2009 modern 3,369 #2,034
2010 modern 3,465 #2,013
2011 modern 3,388 #2,030
2012 modern 3,331 #2,024
2013 modern 3,407 #2,014
2014 modern 3,457 #1,998
2015 modern 3,442 #1,981
2016 modern 3,450 #1,973

Geography

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Where Blackwoods are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Mauchline Rural, Cumnock Rural, Ballingry, County Durham and Drumry East. 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 Kinross Kinross
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mauchline Rural East Ayrshire
2 Cumnock Rural East Ayrshire
3 Ballingry Fife
4 County Durham 009 County Durham
5 Drumry East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blackwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blackwood

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

Blackwood is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blackwood falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Blackwood

The surname Blackwood originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from various place names containing the elements "black" and "wood," referring to a dark or dense forest or woodland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Blachwde" and "Blakewde." These entries likely refer to individuals who hailed from places with such names, which were common throughout England and Scotland at the time.

In the 12th century, the name appears as "de Blakewode" in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, indicating its use as a surname by that point. The prefix "de" was commonly used to denote a person's place of origin.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Blackwood, Blackwode, Blacwode, and Blakwood, among others. These variations reflect the fluid nature of spelling during the medieval and early modern periods.

One notable figure associated with the surname was Sir John Blackwood (c. 1539-1615), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as Lord Privy Seal of Scotland under King James VI.

Another prominent individual was Sir Adam Blackwood (1674-1749), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Justice Clerk, one of the highest judicial offices in Scotland at the time.

In the 18th century, Sir John Blackwood (1721-1779) was a British naval officer who played a significant role in several battles during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

The name Blackwood has also been associated with literary figures, such as Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951), an English short story writer and novelist known for his supernatural fiction.

Additionally, William Blackwood (1776-1834) was a notable Scottish publisher and the founder of Blackwood's Magazine, a leading literary periodical of the 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blackwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blackwood 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 371 Blackwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.74x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 371 6.74x
Renfrewshire 228 17.27x
Ayrshire 202 15.85x
Midlothian 120 5.26x
Fife 91 9.03x
Lancashire 91 0.45x
Middlesex 82 0.48x
Dunbartonshire 66 14.42x
Durham 63 1.24x
Clackmannanshire 44 31.28x
Kinross-shire 38 88.25x
Angus 33 2.09x
Dumfriesshire 26 6.91x
Wigtownshire 22 9.73x
Norfolk 19 0.73x
Yorkshire 18 0.11x
Aberdeenshire 17 1.08x
Berkshire 16 1.25x
Selkirkshire 16 10.38x
Stirlingshire 15 2.39x
Cumberland 14 0.95x
Surrey 14 0.17x
West Lothian 14 5.46x
Peeblesshire 13 16.23x
Northumberland 11 0.43x
Cheshire 9 0.24x
Devon 9 0.25x
Gloucestershire 8 0.24x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 3.24x
Roxburghshire 7 2.27x
Hampshire 6 0.17x
Kent 6 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 6 1.54x
Argyllshire 5 1.05x
Royal Navy 4 1.97x
Warwickshire 4 0.09x
East Lothian 3 1.33x
Hertfordshire 3 0.26x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.55x
Staffordshire 3 0.05x
Wiltshire 3 0.20x
Channel Islands 2 0.40x
Essex 2 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.14x
Cornwall 1 0.05x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
Glamorgan 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.13x
Shetland 1 0.57x
Shropshire 1 0.07x
Sussex 1 0.03x
Westmorland 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 106 Blackwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.60x.

Place Total Index
Barony 106 7.60x
Govan 89 6.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 60 6.54x
Abbey 58 28.80x
Crawford 38 369.65x
Glasgow 33 3.37x
West Greenock 30 12.66x
Dollar 27 185.19x
Kilbarchan 27 67.35x
Dunfermline 23 14.84x
Kinross 22 149.05x
Liff Benvie 22 9.18x
New Kilpatrick 22 50.53x
St Quivox 22 51.04x
Dalry 20 33.34x
Kilmalcolm 19 120.10x
Kilmarnock 19 12.52x
Lesmahagow 18 30.90x
Bishopwearmouth 16 3.68x
North Leith 16 15.15x
Douglas 15 94.46x
Old Cumnock 15 52.85x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 4.74x
Cathcart 14 19.61x
East Greenock 14 11.23x
Beith 13 34.17x
Paddington London 13 2.08x
Wallingford St Peter 12 441.18x
Dumbarton 11 17.27x
Fossoway 11 148.65x
Inchinnan 11 369.13x
Islington London 11 0.67x
Neilston 11 16.60x
New Cumnock 11 49.77x
Scoonie 11 50.39x
West Kilbride 11 90.61x
Ardwick 10 5.49x
Bromley London 10 2.67x
Dysart 10 14.73x
Everton 10 1.55x
Galashiels 10 17.55x
Muirkirk 10 33.41x
Riccarton Hurlford 10 44.72x
Roseneath 10 113.90x
Stockton On Tees 10 4.09x
Tillicoultry 10 31.96x
Tynemouth 10 7.37x
Warrington 10 4.17x
Dundee 9 1.53x
Kirkliston 9 60.16x
Lanark 9 20.31x
Paisley Middle Church 9 11.71x
Penninghame 9 39.03x
Sanquhar 9 68.08x
Tarbolton 9 42.90x
Ardrossan 8 18.13x
Auckinleck 8 20.27x
Bothwell 8 5.36x
Cardross 8 14.56x
Dalmellington 8 21.34x
Edinburgh Greenside 8 26.53x
Gateshead 8 2.11x
Hamilton 8 5.21x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 3.65x
Inveresk 8 12.95x
Little Harwood 8 218.58x
Paisley High Church 8 7.61x
Row 8 13.51x
Wigtown 8 61.97x
Bonhill 7 9.53x
Bradford 7 1.71x
Hawick 7 10.14x
Lambeth 7 0.47x
Mauchline 7 47.78x
Newton In Ashton Under 7 18.87x
Riccarton 7 36.40x
Rutherglen 7 8.66x
Shettleston 7 14.19x
Symington 7 171.15x
West Calder 7 15.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 15
Sarah 10
Jane 9
Margaret 9
Ellen 6
Ann 5
Catherine 5
Isabella 5
Agnes 4
Alice 4
Harriet 4
Jessie 4
Annie 3
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Amy 2
Cecelia 2
Charlotte 2
E. 2
Elizh. 2
Elizth. 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Rosa 2
Agness 1
Amey 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Carrie 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Doroth. 1
Dorothy 1
Eda 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elenor 1
Eliz.E. 1
Eliza 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hariet 1
Hellen 1
Henrietta 1
Ida 1
Isabel 1
Isabela. 1
The 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 34
William 33
James 30
Robert 12
Francis 10
George 10
Thomas 10
Charles 4
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Frederick 3
Hugh 3
Joseph 3
Ludovic 3
Adam 2
Alexander 2
Edward 2
F. 2
Frank 2
Peter 2
Alfred 1
Algernon 1
Ben 1
C.M. 1
Candwell 1
Carrwell 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Degrey 1
Eanst 1
Fehr 1
Fredk. 1
Gaven 1
Geo. 1
Grino 1
Hamilton 1
Hans 1
Isaac 1
Isabella 1
Jasp. 1
Major 1
Matth. 1
Patrick 1
R. 1
R.H. 1
Ralph 1
Randall 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Blackwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blackwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,754 people were recorded with the Blackwood surname. That placed it at #2,465 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blackwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,450 in 2016. That gives Blackwood a modern rank of #1,973.

What does the Blackwood surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a dark or dense forest.

What does the Blackwood map show?

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