NameCensus.

UK surname

Bloy

A Breton surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Bloué.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Bloy surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 329, ranked #13,798, up from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tydd St Mary, London parishes and Castle Acre. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and West Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bloy is 343 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 135.0%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

329

2016, ranked #13,798

Peak year

2004

343 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bloy had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 329 in 2016, ranked #13,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bloy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bloy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bloy 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 158 #12,461
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 168 #16,937
1901 historical 235 #13,662
1911 historical 229 #13,712
1997 modern 313 #13,158
1998 modern 333 #12,964
1999 modern 337 #12,942
2000 modern 341 #12,801
2001 modern 328 #12,944
2002 modern 331 #13,115
2003 modern 325 #13,104
2004 modern 343 #12,616
2005 modern 321 #13,195
2006 modern 324 #13,183
2007 modern 324 #13,322
2008 modern 324 #13,437
2009 modern 329 #13,548
2010 modern 334 #13,690
2011 modern 331 #13,641
2012 modern 321 #13,836
2013 modern 329 #13,810
2014 modern 327 #13,976
2015 modern 330 #13,774
2016 modern 329 #13,798

Geography

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Where Bloys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tydd St Mary, London parishes, Castle Acre, Bircham, Great and Walpole St Peter and St Andrew. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, West Oxfordshire and Dalmilling. 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 Tydd St Mary Lincolnshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Castle Acre Norfolk
4 Bircham, Great Norfolk
5 Walpole St Peter and St Andrew Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts South Ayrshire
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 018 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 West Oxfordshire 012 West Oxfordshire
4 Dalmilling South Ayrshire
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bloy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bloy

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bloy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bloy 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bloy is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bloy is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bloy falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bloy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bloy

The surname BLOY has its origins in France, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "bloi," which means "light-colored" or "fair-haired." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone with fair hair or a light complexion.

The earliest recorded example of the surname BLOY can be found in the Cartulaire de Chartres, a manuscript from the 12th century that contains records of land transactions and other legal documents from the region of Chartres, France. In this document, a certain "Robertus Bloi" is mentioned as a witness to a land transfer.

Over the centuries, the surname BLOY has undergone various spelling variations, such as Blois, Bloye, and Bloie. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the scribes who recorded the name in different documents.

One notable historical reference to the surname BLOY is found in the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name "Bloi" appears as a landholder in the county of Buckinghamshire, indicating that the name had spread from France to England by the 11th century.

Some famous individuals who have borne the surname BLOY include:

1. Léon Bloy (1846-1917), a French novelist, essayist, and polemicist known for his fervent Catholic faith and controversial writings. 2. Pierre Bloy (1714-1790), a French engraver and illustrator who produced numerous works for books and publications during the 18th century. 3. Henri Bloy (1856-1924), a French sculptor and medallist who created public monuments and medal designs for various events and occasions. 4. Jean-Baptiste Bloy (1760-1835), a French architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Paris during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 5. Marguerite Bloy (1850-1929), a French painter and printmaker known for her landscape and genre scenes, as well as her etchings and lithographs.

While the surname BLOY has its roots in France, it has since spread to other countries and regions, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bloy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bloy 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 90 Bloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.87x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 90 42.87x
Lincolnshire 25 11.45x
Middlesex 5 0.37x
Yorkshire 5 0.37x
Durham 4 0.98x
Lancashire 3 0.19x
Midlothian 3 1.64x
Surrey 3 0.45x
Berkshire 1 0.98x
Hampshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Castle Acre in Norfolk leads with 19 Bloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3064.52x.

Place Total Index
Castle Acre 19 3064.52x
East Dereham 10 377.36x
Weasenham All Sts 9 5294.12x
Weasenham St Peter 8 6153.85x
Great Grimsby 7 50.51x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 6 95.24x
Walpole St Andrew 6 1818.18x
Deeping St James 5 649.35x
Great Bircham 5 2272.73x
Igborough 5 5555.56x
Skinningrove 5 602.41x
Tydd St Mary 5 1162.79x
Aslacton 4 2857.14x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 22.74x
Shoreditch London 4 6.76x
Spalding 4 92.38x
Swaffham 4 233.92x
Walsoken 4 317.46x
Heigham 3 26.62x
Holbeach 3 123.46x
South Leith 3 14.58x
Whissonsett 3 1071.43x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 16.39x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 7.28x
Blakeney 1 263.16x
Hampton Wick London 1 100.00x
Portsea 1 1.82x
Sandhurst 1 50.25x
Southacre 1 3333.33x
St Nicholas Lincoln 1 47.85x
Tacolnestone 1 476.19x
West Lexham 1 1666.67x
Westleigh 1 27.17x
Wimbledon 1 13.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 7
Emma 6
Elizabeth 5
Catherine 3
Hannah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Ada 1
Anglina 1
Ann 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Harriett 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M.A. 1
Mahel 1
Pamala 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 10
Charles 5
George 4
James 4
Henry 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Edward 2
Henery 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Allen 1
Bensley 1
Berten 1
Daniel 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredick 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Haylet 1
Herbert 1
Howes 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Walter. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bloy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bloy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Bloy surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bloy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 329 in 2016. That gives Bloy a modern rank of #13,798.

What does the Bloy surname mean?

A Breton surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Bloué.

What does the Bloy map show?

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