The Blakely surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,669 people carried this name — #3,077 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,300 people counted. That is up 3% from 11,300 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Blakely surname

Variant of Blakeley.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Blakely» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Blackley’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Adam de Blakeneye, London, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Blackley, Blakeley, Bleckly, Blakely and Bleakley.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 107 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

96 families named Blakely, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 481 people lived in those households, 5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 10 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 43
South Carolina 15
New York 10
Vermont 8
Pennsylvania 6
Virginia 5
North Carolina 4
Massachusetts 3
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 230 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Blakely in American newspapers,
1903.

Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Blakely
Evening Star 1903-08-04
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Blakely
Evening Star 1903-08-06
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Blakely
Evening Star 1903-08-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 717,565 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Blakely in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

7,298 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Blakely. The most, 1,892, date from the 1920s. Western Australia has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 5.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 2,181
New South Wales 1,972
Victoria 1,021
Queensland 961
South Australia 654
Tasmania 351
ACT (Canberra) 90
Northern Territory 54

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Blakely.

Who carried it

People named Blakely,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William G. Blakely
    William G. Blakely 1829–1920 · lawyer
  • George Blakely
    George Blakely 1870–1965
  • Charles School Blakely
    Charles School Blakely 1880–1975 · military officer
  • John Arclen Blakely d. 1995 · lawyer
  • Theophilus Blakely d. 1855 · priest
  • Ebenezer Blakely 1806–1889 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Blakely,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,081 records

1,081 records of the Blakely name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 383
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 196
  • Other U.S. records 502
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William Blakely

    Born 1948; from Castro Valley, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Clarence W. Blakely

    Born 1908 in Nebraska. Enlisted 1944 at Portland, Oregon; cook from Multnomah County, Oregon. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1959, buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret Blakely

    Arrived at New York in 1850 aboard the Brothers from Newry, aged 16; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,081 records for Blakely in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia170 records

170 records of the Blakely name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 122
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 18
  • Other Australian records 30
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Thomas Blakely

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1856. Married 1856 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 36.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Blakely

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Mobile, aged 45; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John C. Blakely

    Former grazier of Ballarat, Victoria; died 1927.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 170 records for Blakely in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada100 records

100 records of the Blakely name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 61
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 13
  • Other Canadian records 26
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Blakely

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Atlantic, landing at N. Y., bound for Kingston, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lillian Bertha Blakely

    Died 1985, aged 93; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Andrew J. Blakely

    Died 1921 in Guysborough, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 100 records for Blakely in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the Blakely name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edith Frances Matilda Blakely

    Died 1937, aged 67; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lyall Francis Blakely

    Died 1993, aged 62; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record D. Blakely

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Blakely in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Blakely name in the United Kingdom Scottish rolls of honour, First World War
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Blakely

    Killed or died by 1919. Named in the roll of honour of Singer memorial, 1914-1918.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Douglas Blakely

    Died 1917. Named in the Glasgow Academy roll of honour, 1914-1918.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Blakely name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Paul Hiram Charles Blakely

    Born 1919 in Paris; died 1996 in Arès (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Thurly Valma Blakely

    Born 1925 in the United States; died 2000 in Le Coudray (Eure-et-Loir).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Blakely.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Blakely is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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