Blake Family History

Blake Surname Meaning

English and Scottish (England and central Scotland): variant of Black 1 meaning ‘swarthy’ or ‘dark-haired’ from a byform of the Old English adjective blæc blac ‘black’ with change of vowel length. English: nickname from Middle English blak(e) (Old English blāc) ‘wan pale white fair’. In Middle English the two words blac and blāc with opposite meanings fell together as Middle English blake.

In the absence of independent evidence as to whether the person referred to was dark or fair, it is now impossible to tell which sense was originally meant. English (Norfolk): nickname from Middle English bleik blaik > blek(e) (Old Norse bleikr) ‘pale or sallow’ (in complexion).

Irish: Anglicized form of Ó Bláthmhaic ‘descendant of Bláthmhac’, a personal name from bláth ‘flower blossom’ (also meaning ‘fame or prosperity’) + mac ‘son’. In some instances however the Irish name is derived from Old English blæc ‘dark swarthy’ as in 1 above.

Many bearers are descended from Richard Caddell, nicknamed le blac, sheriff of Connacht in the early 14th century. The English surname has been Gaelicized as de Bláca.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Lake, Brake, Clare, Lane, Bake, Place, Blank, Blackie, Blade, Blaske

3 million record(s) for Blake

901K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
94K	Military Records
83K	Immigration Records
657K	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

Where is the Blake family from?

You can see how Blake families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Blake family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Blake families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 196 Blake families living in Maine. This was about 14% of all the recorded Blake's in USA. Maine had the highest population of Blake families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Blake surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Blake ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Blake. 17% of Blake men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Blake women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Blake were Truck driver and Teacher.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Laborer

17%

Farmer

12%

Salesman

5%

Truck driver

3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housekeeper

7%

Maid

7%

Housewife

6%

Teacher

6%

What Blake family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 657K census records available for the last name Blake. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Blake census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 83K immigration records available for the last name Blake. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 94K military records available for the last name Blake. For the veterans among your Blake ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Blake lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Blake life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Blake in 1940 was 42, and 74 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Blake ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.