NameCensus.

UK surname

Blazey

A surname derived from a nickname for someone with bright red hair or complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 193 people recorded with the Blazey surname, ranking it #13,144 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 167, ranked #22,055, down from #13,144 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Werburgh and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackpool, Norwich and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blazey is 235 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.5%.

1881 census count

193

Ranked #13,144

Modern count

167

2016, ranked #22,055

Peak year

1901

235 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blazey had 193 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,144 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016, ranked #22,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Blazey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blazey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blazey 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 149 #12,967
1861 historical 142 #15,982
1881 historical 193 #13,144
1891 historical 228 #13,582
1901 historical 235 #13,662
1911 historical 212 #14,423
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 176 #19,722
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 175 #19,902
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 161 #20,840
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 156 #22,351
2010 modern 166 #21,941
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 164 #21,883
2013 modern 171 #21,654
2014 modern 174 #21,561
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 167 #22,055

Geography

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Where Blazeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Werburgh, St Marylebone and St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackpool, Norwich, Pembrokeshire, Broadland and South Norfolk. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackpool 017 Blackpool
2 Norwich 013 Norwich
3 Pembrokeshire 016 Pembrokeshire
4 Broadland 016 Broadland
5 South Norfolk 006 South Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blazey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blazey

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Blazey 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

Blazey is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Blazey

The surname Blazey is of English origin, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "blæc," meaning "black" or "dark-colored." The name likely referred to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentions a Robert Blacey. This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Blacey, Blacy, and Blakey. These variations reflect the different spellings used during that time, as standardized spelling was not yet established.

The Blazey surname is also associated with certain place names in England. For instance, the village of Blayse in Gloucestershire may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

Notable individuals with the surname Blazey include John Blazey (c. 1540-1610), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Winchester. Another figure was William Blazey (1719-1784), a British naval officer who participated in several battles during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the Blazey surname gained prominence with the birth of James Blazey (1824-1891), a British artist known for his landscape paintings. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious institutions.

Moving into the 20th century, we find Elizabeth Blazey (1902-1988), an Australian writer and poet who published several collections of verse and was recognized for her contributions to Australian literature.

Additionally, the name has been associated with notable figures in sports, such as Robert Blazey (born 1952), a former Australian cricketer who played domestic cricket for New South Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.

It is worth noting that while the Blazey surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Australia, Canada, and the United States, through migration and settlement patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blazey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blazey 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. Norfolk leads with 80 Blazeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.64x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 80 27.64x
Middlesex 52 2.76x
Kent 12 1.87x
Yorkshire 10 0.54x
Warwickshire 8 1.69x
Gloucestershire 7 1.90x
Berkshire 6 4.25x
Essex 6 1.61x
Surrey 5 0.55x
Staffordshire 2 0.31x
Cumberland 1 0.62x
Hertfordshire 1 0.77x
Oxfordshire 1 0.86x
Wiltshire 1 0.60x
Worcestershire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wymondham in Norfolk leads with 31 Blazeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1047.30x.

Place Total Index
Wymondham 31 1047.30x
St Marylebone London 11 10.94x
Hampstead London 10 34.11x
Heigham 9 57.92x
Aston 8 6.12x
Morley St Botolph 8 4444.44x
Shoreditch London 8 9.80x
Cheltenham 7 24.57x
Thorpe Next Norwich 7 228.01x
Clerkenwell London 6 13.50x
Greenwich 6 20.02x
Reading St Giles 6 43.29x
Lakenham 5 121.65x
Lewisham 5 14.60x
West Ham 5 6.09x
Barford 4 1904.76x
Kimberworth 4 38.65x
Westminster St James 4 20.67x
Brooke 3 666.67x
Catton 3 625.00x
Horton In Bradford 3 10.30x
Lambeth 3 1.83x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 36.81x
Wortley In Bramley 3 20.31x
Bergh Apton 2 666.67x
Feltwell Feltwell Anchor 2 377.36x
Norwich St Saviour 2 196.08x
Rugeley 2 43.86x
St George Hanover Square 2 6.03x
St Martin In Fields 2 17.75x
St Pancras London 2 1.32x
Westminster St John 2 8.72x
Bermondsey 1 1.78x
Camberwell 1 0.83x
Cringleford 1 714.29x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.02x
Ducklington 1 357.14x
East Dereham 1 27.32x
Islington London 1 0.55x
Norwich St Peter Hungate 1 400.00x
Poplar London 1 2.81x
Ramsbury 1 66.23x
St Cuthbert Within 1 53.19x
Stoke Holy Cross 1 370.37x
Vange 1 1000.00x
Watford 1 9.94x
Worcester St Martin 1 30.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 12
Mary 11
Alice 6
Sarah 5
Susan 5
Hannah 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Amelia 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Harriet 3
Martha 3
Clara 2
Fanny 2
Flora 2
Jane 2
Lydia 2
Rebecca 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Anny 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Isabbella 1
Kate 1
Kezia 1
May 1
Millie 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Pheobe 1
R.M. 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 11
James 9
Henry 7
Walter 7
Alfred 5
Charles 4
George 4
Thomas 4
Robert 3
Amos 2
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Samuel 2
Benjamin 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fredk.Alfred 1
Geo. 1
Horace 1
Lazarus 1
Robt. 1
Simon 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Blazey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blazey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 193 people were recorded with the Blazey surname. That placed it at #13,144 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blazey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016. That gives Blazey a modern rank of #22,055.

What does the Blazey surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname for someone with bright red hair or complexion.

What does the Blazey map show?

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