NameCensus.

UK surname

Blaikie

An English surname derived from a diminutive of the name Blair, a Scottish place name.

In the 1881 census there were 370 people recorded with the Blaikie surname, ranking it #8,434 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 617, ranked #8,523, down from #8,434 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Duns and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chirnside and Area, Hawick Central and Berwickshire Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blaikie is 617 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.8%.

1881 census count

370

Ranked #8,434

Modern count

617

2016, ranked #8,523

Peak year

2016

617 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blaikie had 370 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,434 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 617 in 2016, ranked #8,523.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 499 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Blaikie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blaikie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blaikie 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 207 #10,148
1861 historical 245 #10,057
1881 historical 370 #8,434
1891 historical 427 #8,391
1901 historical 499 #8,065
1911 historical 92 #23,580
1997 modern 569 #8,454
1998 modern 575 #8,622
1999 modern 583 #8,605
2000 modern 608 #8,356
2001 modern 591 #8,377
2002 modern 615 #8,306
2003 modern 595 #8,383
2004 modern 596 #8,389
2005 modern 572 #8,559
2006 modern 581 #8,485
2007 modern 576 #8,619
2008 modern 577 #8,660
2009 modern 592 #8,681
2010 modern 597 #8,814
2011 modern 593 #8,767
2012 modern 601 #8,595
2013 modern 613 #8,599
2014 modern 616 #8,616
2015 modern 612 #8,606
2016 modern 617 #8,523

Geography

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Where Blaikies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Duns, Edinburgh, Manchester and Penicuik. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chirnside and Area, Hawick Central, Berwickshire Central, Kirkcudbright and Leith (Hermitage and Prospect Bank). Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
2 Duns Berwick
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Penicuik Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chirnside and Area Scottish Borders
2 Hawick Central Scottish Borders
3 Berwickshire Central Scottish Borders
4 Kirkcudbright Dumfries and Galloway
5 Leith (Hermitage and Prospect Bank) City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blaikie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blaikie

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Blaikie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Blaikie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Blaikie is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Blaikie 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

Blaikie falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Blaikie

The surname BLAIKIE is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "blaec", meaning black or dark, and was likely an occupational name for someone who worked with soot or charcoal.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1296, which mention a John Blakye. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Blakke, Blaky, and Blakie.

BLAIKIE is also associated with several place names in Scotland, including Blakie Muir in Fife and Blaikie in Aberdeenshire. These place names likely originated from the Old English word "blaec" and were later adopted as surnames by those living in those areas.

One notable individual with the BLAIKIE surname was Robert Blaikie (1591-1662), a Scottish clergyman who served as the minister of the Tron Kirk in Edinburgh. Another was John Blaikie (1776-1820), a Scottish merchant and landowner who owned estates in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.

In the 19th century, William Garden Blaikie (1820-1899) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author, best known for his work "The Life of David Livingstone". James Blaikie (1834-1899) was a Scottish writer and journalist who worked for the Glasgow Herald and The Scotsman.

Additionally, John Blaikie (1825-1899) was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Blaikie Trust, which provided financial support for education and other charitable causes in Scotland.

While the BLAIKIE surname has Scottish roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, particularly to England, Canada, and the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blaikie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blaikie 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. Midlothian leads with 134 Blaikies recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.40x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 134 28.40x
Berwickshire 40 93.81x
Aberdeenshire 22 6.75x
Roxburghshire 21 32.93x
Selkirkshire 18 56.50x
Renfrewshire 15 5.50x
Middlesex 11 0.31x
East Lothian 10 21.44x
Lanarkshire 10 0.88x
Peeblesshire 10 60.39x
Staffordshire 10 0.84x
Fife 9 4.32x
Lancashire 9 0.22x
Durham 6 0.57x
Perthshire 6 3.80x
Surrey 6 0.35x
Yorkshire 6 0.17x
Ayrshire 3 1.14x
Dumfriesshire 3 3.86x
Dunbartonshire 3 3.17x
Lincolnshire 3 0.53x
Northamptonshire 2 0.60x
Royal Navy 2 4.77x
Angus 1 0.31x
Argyllshire 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 56 Blaikies recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.51x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 56 29.51x
Dunse 16 396.04x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 15 24.58x
Selkirk 13 144.77x
East Greenock 12 46.57x
Hawick 12 84.03x
Wolstanton 10 27.70x
Colinton 9 171.10x
Duddingston 9 95.04x
Ayton 8 323.89x
Longformacus 8 1739.13x
Peebles 8 163.27x
South Leith 8 15.07x
Corstorphine 7 269.23x
North Leith 7 32.07x
Scoonie 7 155.21x
Bishopwearmouth 6 6.67x
Bowden 6 645.16x
Dull 6 189.27x
Hackney London 6 3.04x
Cockpen 5 90.74x
Galashiels 5 42.44x
Gladsmuir 5 240.38x
Glasgow 5 2.47x
Liberton 5 68.68x
Penicuik 5 78.00x
Pitsligo 5 160.26x
Tranent 5 79.37x
Barony 4 1.39x
Camberwell 4 1.78x
Crichton 4 303.03x
Edinburgh St Stephens 4 43.06x
Inveresk 4 31.32x
Moss Side 4 18.19x
West Derby 4 3.27x
Channelkirk 3 410.96x
Dalkeith 3 32.22x
Irvine 3 40.98x
Kirkintilloch 3 23.33x
Langholm 3 53.67x
Newbattle 3 74.44x
Sculcoates 3 5.42x
Wilton 3 42.86x
Burntisland 2 34.31x
Eccles 2 106.95x
Elloughton Cum Brough 2 186.92x
Glenholm 2 714.29x
Greenlaw 2 132.45x
Kensington London 2 1.02x
Kings Cliffe 2 129.87x
Reigate Foreign 2 10.76x
Revesby 2 294.12x
West Greenock 2 4.08x
Westminster St Margaret 2 11.77x
Abbey 1 2.40x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 1.47x
Alford 1 56.18x
Borthwick 1 47.39x
Brechin 1 7.80x
Cranston 1 83.33x
Dunoon Kilmun 1 13.09x
Edinburgh Greenside 1 16.05x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 10.91x
Edinburgh Trinity 1 65.79x
Edrom 1 54.64x
Firsby 1 344.83x
Govan 1 0.36x
Kirkdale 1 1.42x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.33x
Sutton Stoneferry 1 10.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Annie 3
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Elizabeth 2
Isabella 2
Sarah 2
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Grace 1
Julia 1
Olive 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Alexander 3
James 3
Edward 2
Benjamin 1
Duncan 1
Edwd. 1
George 1
Hutton 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Will 1
William 1

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 Blaikie households.

FAQ

Blaikie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blaikie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 370 people were recorded with the Blaikie surname. That placed it at #8,434 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blaikie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 617 in 2016. That gives Blaikie a modern rank of #8,523.

What does the Blaikie surname mean?

An English surname derived from a diminutive of the name Blair, a Scottish place name.

What does the Blaikie map show?

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