2000
#826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.14
Uncommon Last name
Blackburn
A locational surname referring to someone who lived by a dark or black stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 43,066 Americans carry the last name Blackburn. That puts it at #915 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blackburn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Blackburn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
43K
1 in 7,959
Census rank
#915
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
38K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 37,556 bearers of the surname Blackburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 915th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blackburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blackburn
The surname Blackburn originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the town of Blackburn in Lancashire, which was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Blacheburne. The name itself is composed of the Old English words "blæc," meaning "black," and "burna," meaning "stream" or "brook."
Blackburn was a significant settlement in the Middle Ages, and its name appeared in various historical records. One notable example is the Whalley Coucher Book, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century, which mentions individuals with the surname Blackburn.
The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Blackburn was William de Blackburn, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1199. Another early instance is Robert de Blackburn, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.
Over the centuries, the surname Blackburn has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Thomas Blackburn (1701-1787), an English mathematician and clergyman who made significant contributions to the study of calculus and published several works on the subject.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Joseph Blackburn (1819-1879), an English railway engineer and inventor who developed various improvements to locomotive design and is credited with inventing the Blackburn's Eccentric Rudder for ships.
In the literary world, Hugh Blackburn (1835-1909) was a Scottish writer and journalist who authored several books, including "The Pardoner's Wallet" and "The Pupil of Aurelius."
The surname Blackburn also has ties to the world of sports. Noel Blackburn (1892-1981) was an English cricketer who played for Lancashire and England, and George Blackburn (1903-1981) was a Scottish professional golfer who won the British Open in 1938.
One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Blackburn was Graham Blackburn (1935-2015), a British cyclist and Olympic medalist. He won silver medals in the team pursuit event at the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games.
While the surname Blackburn is primarily associated with England and the United Kingdom, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and historical connections of English settlers and immigrants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blackburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Blackburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Blackburn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Blackburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 31,641
- Black or African American7.2% · 2,690
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,522
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 1,166
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 299
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 238
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blackburn
Blackburn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,097
+960 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 13.25
Rank movement Down 63 places
2020
#915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,556
-1,541 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 12.56
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #826 | 38,137 | 14.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #889 | 39,097 | 13.25 | +960 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 63 places |
| 2020 | #915 | 37,556 | 12.56 | -1,541 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 26 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Blackburn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #889 | #915 | -2.9% |
| Count | 39,097 | 37,556 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 13.25 | 12.56 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blackburn bearers went from 39,097 to 37,556 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #889 to #915.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blackburn
FAQ
Blackburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blackburn?
Name Census estimates that about 43,066 living Americans carry the surname Blackburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,959 residents.
How common is Blackburn?
Blackburn ranks #915 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 37,556 people with the surname Blackburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (43,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Blackburn.
Has Blackburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blackburn went from 39,097 recorded bearers to 37,556. That is a decrease of 1,541 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #889 to #915.
What does the Census say about the background of Blackburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blackburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Blackburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (31,641 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blackburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Black (7.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Blackburn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Blackburn mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived by a dark or black stream. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Blackburn (12.56 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Blackburn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.