2000
#2,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,897
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.15
Uncommon Last name
Blackman
An English surname referring to a person with a dark complexion or black hair, or an occupational name for a worker who dealt with black dyes or ink.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,184 Americans carry the last name Blackman. That puts it at #2,655 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,573 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blackman 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 Blackman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,573
Census rank
#2,655
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,241 bearers of the surname Blackman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2655th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blackman, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blackman
The surname BLACKMAN is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words 'blæc' meaning black and 'mann' meaning man. This name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent landmark such as a dark moor or a blacksmith's forge.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname BLACKMAN can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists individuals by their place of residence. One such entry is for a William Blakeman residing in Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Blakeman, Blacman, and Blackman, suggesting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
During the 16th century, the surname BLACKMAN is mentioned in the parish records of several English counties, such as Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. Notable individuals bearing this name include John Blackman, a yeoman from Worcestershire, who was recorded in the Muster Rolls of 1542.
In the 17th century, the BLACKMAN surname gained prominence with the birth of Benjamin Blackman (1617-1675), an English Puritan minister and author. He served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War and later became the rector of Steeple Ashton in Wiltshire.
Another notable figure was George Blackman (1709-1770), an English actor and playwright who performed extensively in London theaters during the mid-18th century. His works included the popular comedy "The Provoked Husband" and several adaptations of French plays.
Moving into the 19th century, the BLACKMAN surname is associated with John Blackman (1783-1857), a British architect known for his work on the Blackman Street development in London's Southwark district. This area was named after him and became a hub for various businesses and residences.
The surname also crossed the Atlantic, with individuals such as Ephraim Blackman (1768-1840), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Massachusetts, and John Blackman (1822-1899), a prominent businessman and politician in New York City, who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Throughout its history, the BLACKMAN surname has been linked to various occupations, from clergymen and actors to architects and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blackman
Among Census respondents with the surname Blackman, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Blackman 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 Blackman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.2% · 7,313
- Black or African American34.8% · 4,613
- Two or more races4.3% · 571
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 555
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 94
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blackman
Blackman 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
#2,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,278
+381 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 4.84
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#2,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,241
-1,037 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 4.43
Rank movement Down 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,389 | 13,897 | 5.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,535 | 14,278 | 4.84 | +381 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #2,655 | 13,241 | 4.43 | -1,037 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 120 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 Blackman 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 | #2,535 | #2,655 | -4.7% |
| Count | 14,278 | 13,241 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.84 | 4.43 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blackman bearers went from 14,278 to 13,241 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,535 to #2,655.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blackman
FAQ
Blackman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blackman?
Name Census estimates that about 15,184 living Americans carry the surname Blackman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,573 residents.
How common is Blackman?
Blackman ranks #2,655 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,241 people with the surname Blackman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,184), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Blackman.
Has Blackman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blackman went from 14,278 recorded bearers to 13,241. That is a decrease of 1,037 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,535 to #2,655.
What does the Census say about the background of Blackman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blackman, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Blackman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.2% (7,313 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blackman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.2%), Black (34.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Blackman (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 Blackman mean?
An English surname referring to a person with a dark complexion or black hair, or an occupational name for a worker who dealt with black dyes or ink. 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 Blackman (4.43 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 common is the surname Blackman?
You can see how many people have the last name Blackman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.