The Blythe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,947 people carried this name — #4,470 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 37,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 7,827 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Blythe surname

A surname from Old English either derived from a nickname, or from the English places.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Blythe» (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

An early record he cites: William de Blithe, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Blyth, Blythe, Blythman and Blithe.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 113 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

24 families named Blythe, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 121 people lived in those households, 5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 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

South Carolina 9
Pennsylvania 6
North Carolina 4
Maryland 2
Massachusetts 1
Connecticut 1
Virginia 1

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

Blythe in American newspapers,
1873–1917.

Newspaper page from Rapides Gazette carrying the name Blythe
Rapides Gazette 1873-08-16
Newspaper page from The Donaldsonville Chief carrying the name Blythe
The Donaldsonville Chief 1873-08-09
Newspaper page from The St. Charles Herald carrying the name Blythe
The St. Charles Herald 1917-02-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 59,824 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Blythe in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

17,858 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Blythe. The most, 3,768, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 5,953
New South Wales 4,883
Victoria 3,208
Queensland 1,492
Tasmania 1,371
South Australia 789
ACT (Canberra) 88
Northern Territory 20

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

Who carried it

People named Blythe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Calvin Blythe
    Calvin Blythe 1790–1849 · lawyer
  • Hugh Blythe d. 1610 · priest
  • Neil Blythe d. 1998
  • Charles Blythe d. 1645
  • Geoffrey Blythe 1470–1530 · Catholic priest
  • Samuel Blythe 1783–1813

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 Blythe,
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 States763 records

763 records of the Blythe name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 292
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 134
  • Other U.S. records 337
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Carl W. Blythe

    Born 1917 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1945 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; heat treater. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1973, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Terry Lee Blythe

    Born 1942; from Ripley, Mississippi. U.S. Army, armor reconnaissance specialist; killed in action 1965 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Blythe

    Arrived at New York in 1850 aboard the Minnesota from Liverpool, aged 29; milliner. From Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 763 records for Blythe in the United States.

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

Australia494 records

494 records of the Blythe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 255
  • Tasmanian Names Index 96
  • Other Australian records 143
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Robert Blythe

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Layton, sailing from London in 1841. Native of Norwich, Norfolk.

    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 William Blythe

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Morning Star, as an infant; 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 Charles Blythe

    Former government officer of Frankston, Victoria; died 1916.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 494 records for Blythe 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (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).

United Kingdom36 records

36 records of the Blythe name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 31
  • Stirling Council burial records 3
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record David Blythe

    Buried in 1886 at Valley Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 59.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Blythe

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 25.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. Blythe

    Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 36 records for Blythe in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada31 records

31 records of the Blythe name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 12
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 8
  • Other Canadian records 11
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Stephen Blythe

    Died 1906; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Blythe

    Died 1893 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record John Henry Blythe

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 31 records for Blythe in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand22 records

22 records of the Blythe name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 20
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Andrew James Alfred Blythe

    Died 1983, aged 76; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas William Blythe

    Buried in 1939 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 84.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Louisa Blythe

    Died 1909, aged 39; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Blythe in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel 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).

France2 records

2 records of the Blythe 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 William James Blythe

    Born 1934 in the United Kingdom; died 1990 in Montigny-le-Bretonneux (Yvelines).

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

    Born 1905 in Compiègne (Oise); died 1996 in Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine).

    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 Blythe.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Blythe 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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